The Fairy Ring
by FreakinGodzilla
Summary: Sarah packs her bags with only a pocket full of money, her handy Bucket List, and spare clothes to last her for only a short while. With these in hand, she travels to the beautiful land called Ireland while searching for magic. As she searches, she may find some things that she had not quite been looking for, but she doesn't mind these strange turn of events in the least. J/S
1. Chapter 1

**Hey Guys!** **This story is heavy on Folklore/Fantasy and is (obviously) a romance between Jareth and Sarah. :) Completed.**

 **Summary:** **Sarah packs her bags with only a pocket full of money, her handy Bucket List, and spare clothes to last her for only a short while. With these in hand, she travels to the beautiful land called Ireland while searching for magic. As she searches, she may find some things that she had not quite been looking for, but she doesn't mind these strange turn of events in the least. J/S**

 **UPDATE: _I am currently editing this story but I will not be changing any of the core elements. Just rewording things, correcting grammar (the best I can, at least), and perhaps adding/rewriting some chapters. Filling in and adding on to places that I don't think I elaborated (or gave much thought to) enough._**

 _ **I will not be taking anything down and will keep this story as close as I can to the original. As I wrote this story I became better at writing and learned some things along the way that I would like to correct in the earlier chapters.**_

 _ **Thank you for reading - I promise my updating shenanigans will not affect your reading experience in the slightest - unless, (hopefully) in a positive way.**_

 **Now... Onto the story! :)**

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Grunting, panting and disgruntled mumbles reverberated through the walls of the hallway. A young woman tugged on the handles of a very large suitcase as she trudged her way up the narrow staircase. "Dear God," She grumbled as her foot landed on the top of the stairs. With another groan, she flexed her arm muscles and lifted the suitcase over the last remaining steps.

Sighing, the young woman leaned her slim body against the luggage, chest heaving as she gathered her bearings. "I should have packed lighter," She grumbled, shaking her head in self-pity. Large locks of dark hair fell over her shoulders, and she pushed it back with a pale hand. Seconds passed before she regained her breath, and soon she was dragging the bag down the hallway with renewed strength.

She paused as she reached the room 113, digging through her jeans for the magical golden metal object called a key. Once she retrieved it, after a fair amount of struggling and searching the mysterious lower corners of her pocket, she pushed it into the lock and twisted the key until a sharp click resounded. The young woman smiled as if she had achieved the simplest task with ease and no slight complications, and she grabbed her suitcase and passed through the open door into a cozy, neat little room.

"Oh, goodness! Dear, look, a new guest." A cheery and gleeful voice announced from behind the young woman.

The young woman paused, turning around and plastering a smile on her wary and exhausted traveling face. "Hello," she greeted. The voice had honestly taken her by surprise, as she had been sure when she unlocked the door that no-one else had been in the hallway, but when the young woman had turned around, she had been met with the sight of two sunny faces.

The older couple stood in the doorway with such rosy merriment flashing in their eyes and cheeks, that the young woman reluctantly noted that they were sure to be an optimistic nuisance. If such a thing was possible.

"Not a new guest, my wife," the man corrected with a jolly smile, giving the old woman next to him a comforting pat on the shoulder, "but a new neighbor!" The older man then threw his hands up in the air and laughed heartily.

"Uh, heh, I won't be staying that long." The young woman chuckled nervously, obviously a little tensed, "I'm Sarah." She outstretched a hesitant arm, but the couple simply shook their hands as if she was ignorant of some longtime tradition.

"Oh, isn't she a sweetie?" The old woman crooned, and the girl's mind briefly flashed a memory of her great-aunt pinching her cheeks as a child, so hard that they had blushed for hours. Sarah shuffled her feet nervously, slowly withdrawing her hand from the odd couple. "We don't shake hands around here, we hug!" The old woman announced, pouncing on Sarah with an amused and delighted smile.

Sarah sank into the red fabric that made up the old woman's thick sweater, and she was joined by the powerful smell of cologne invading her nostrils as the old man graciously made it a group hug. Seconds passed, feeling truly like minutes instead. Just when the girl began to believe that her lungs would surely give out, the couple finally released their hold on her.

Sarah subconsciously shrank back from the couple, giving them a quick wave, and announced that she was going to finish unpacking. Using jet lag as a cliche scapegoat, she escaped into the refuge of her hotel room, making sure to use all of the locks available on the hotel door. She was not taking any chances with the average friendly stalkers that inhabited the outside hallways. Better to be safe than sorry, she reminded herself.

The young woman took this time to study her room, realizing that it was nicer than she had expected it to be. The hotel was indeed a magnificent castle, which was why she had chosen it, but she had expected cold medieval bedrooms, flickering torches lining the corridors and ghosts lingering in the dark recesses of the rooms. Instead, the room seemed to have fairly fresh paint lining the walls, a plush and magnificent bed placed in the center of the room, elegant furniture with a chaise lounging in the corner of the room and most importantly of all- the bed had little mints on the pillows.

Sarah squealed with delight as she flung her bag down on the foot of the bed, and using all her leg strength, bounded and bounced onto the overflowing, cushiony bed. Settling herself, as she sat next to the suitcase, Sarah pulled out a crinkly paper from her jean pockets. The page had seen better days- or years- as the corners had worn down and rips had been taped closed with her expertise taping skills. She tried -to no avail - to smooth out the rough edges before abandoning the impossible quest, and instead seeking out a pen from her bag.

With one finally in hand, she unfolded the paper and used a finger to trace down the list until she hit the correct number. Smiling, Sarah used the pen and crossed out the words "Number 31: Visit Ireland".

She had decided to devise a Bucket List at the age of fifteen and had slowly begun crossing out items and adding new ones as the years passed. Most of the numbers had simply been just ideas, things that she figured she might as well do, since everyone else did it, like getting married, having kids, a white picketed fence and all that jazz. Although, a few on the list were indeed ambitious dreams that she had stumbled upon suddenly and had quickly written them down. Going to Ireland had always been one of those.

The thought to visit this place had manifested when Sarah had been exploring. Not the adventuring or the physically searching type of 'exploring', but the reading and researching type.

Most people could never guess, simply by looking at this young woman, that she had seen many mysterious and mystical things. She had experienced things that most of her kind did not even believe in.

So she had taken to reading.

Reading had been a big 'must-do' in her life, mostly because in order to act, one had to read. It was this activity that had caused her to stumble upon a little unknown play called, 'The Labyrinth'. Unlike what she had believed at first, the labyrinth had truly existed, and she had discovered the actual existence because of a slight miscommunication.

Well, to him it had not been a 'slight miscommunication', but Sarah held strong to the fact that she had not, nor would she ever, have actually meant the words that she had so carelessly let slip through her lips. What was said, was said… Or so she had been told, and this simple phrase had changed her magical encounter into a magical challenge, but that was an old story.

She was starting over, a clean slate. After the labyrinth, the way she viewed fantasy stories sullied. What was the fun in it, if it was true? No, she shook her head, she did not mind so much that it was true. What really got to her was the fact that she could not experience it again. There was some wall that was placed between the magical realm and her's. A wall that kept her dreams out of reach, but every so often would hold them before her, like bait, like a mouth-watering piece of meat dangling above a dog, but never close enough to grasp or taste.

Sarah looked down at the bucket list and lightly tapped an anxious finger on a single line repeatedly. Staring at the words as if they would change her life completely. Bucket list number 32:

Find Magic.

Her green eyes dreamily scrutinized the page, intense and hopeful in thoughts, then she sighed with the word maybe drilling and longingly repeating like a mantra in her mind. She knew that she was supposed to keep pushing forward; she had made it this far to Ireland, so why stop now? Sighing, Sarah placed the small paper into a slot in her suitcase. Ireland was a start towards her dreams, but where did she go from here?

A desperate growl sprang through her thoughts; her stomach shifted uncomfortably. Obviously, Sarah decided with a self-amused smirk, food was where she should definitely start.

The young woman made her way into the cafe, thankful that the castle had a lot of opportunities for food. She had not eaten a very large and hearty meal since the night before she began traveling, and her stomach was relentless in its anguishing growls for sustenance.

The cafe was tiny but had a comforting, homey aura. The smell of baking bread softly waded throughout the room, large windows revealed the lush and green plants sprouting healthily outside, simple tables were placed in no certain order, and people calmly gathered around to eat and laugh together.

Sarah quickly ordered herself a steaming bowl of potato soup and sat down next to a beautiful, ornate window. She stared outside and wondered to herself about all the magical possibilities this night sky could hold. Something had told her, nagging her brain every day until she had hastily written it on the large bucket list, that Ireland was the place where she would find her way around the obscure veil that protected the magical realm from her's. She wasn't sure why, but she just knew.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Sarah frowned and turned to see that the older couple from earlier had invited themselves to her table. They gave her a cheerful greet and placed their food down next to her, either oblivious to the scowl on Sarah's face, or they simply were not too bothered by it. She shifted in her seat, her posture suddenly tense.

"Yes, it's gorgeous here." Sarah nodded, before stuffing her face with more potato soup to avoid too much conversation.

The old woman seemed not to care if Sarah's eating mannerisms resembled a glutton's, or not. Instead, she agreed and scooted closer. "Earl," The old woman addressed her husband, "Could you get me a drink, please?" The old man gave his wife a tiring scowl, but she shooed Earl away with no consternation and then turned to Sarah, giving her a glance that said 'Good Riddance,' and sweetly smiled. Sarah could not help but wonder why the woman seemed to want to be alone with her.

"So," Sarah said, not sure how to start a conversation with such an odd woman.

"I here there are fairies out there…" The woman interrupted with a tone that seemed like she was desperately trying to make small talk, and pointing a chubby finger to the window.

Sarah followed the direction the old woman was gazing intently towards, and her eyes traced the lush, shadowy trees that she swore were gleaming in the streams of the moonlight. The darkness held a mysterious air outside as if there could possibly be fairies and other magical beings hiding in the black recesses of the terrain. It was not such a silly thought, Sarah realized, she had come here to chase magic so why turn down the slightest information, even if it seemed quite childish.

"Why do you say that?" Sarah gave the old woman a skeptical glance.

"It's just the stories I hear…" She smiled, lines spreading across her plump, aged face.

"What stories?" Sarah asked, intrigued. She was focused mostly on certain stories. Stories that she felt were closely related to that of the labyrinth, but she was never too close minded to not entertain another. Exploring was what had given her the taste of magic initially.

"Is this your first time staying here?" The old woman pulled back, frowning as if she were affronted at the very fact.

"This is actually my first time out of America…" Sarah shyly smiled. Embarrassed and blushing like a little schoolgirl when a secret crush was revealed.

"Ah, I see." Her posture relaxed, suddenly no longer on alert for whatever reason, "Well, let me be the first one to inform you, then." She gave Sarah a proud smile and drew herself up haughtily. "For you see, my husband and I have been visiting this place for years. I know it like the back of my hand, you know." She informed and Sarah frowned as the old lady shook a plucky finger at her.

"Alright, I'd like that." Sarah leaned a little further away.

"Well," the woman began, "As I'm sure you know, this hotel was once a grand castle. Of course, it's a little smaller now, but I'm not going to go into that reason right now… Anyways, Once upon a time…"

Oh, bother.

Sarah refrained from rolling her eyes at the lady.

The old woman continued, cocking her head this way and that as she began telling her assuredly, highly self-appraised story. "Royalty used to live here - of course, you should know that, but life was not always so luxurious as it is meant to be. A queen named Viona, who was as beautiful as the sun shines, was also as selfish as her allure. She was married to a handsome king…"

Sarah softly gazed out at the night sky as the woman trailed on, trying to pay attention, but this was her first time in Ireland. There was so much to see and so much to do. She felt restless and her mind wandered aimlessly, trying to find excuses to leave this awkward dinner conversation right now.

"She then gave birth to her first son, Avery. He was a beautiful, bubbly little boy. The kingdom was sure he was to be as handsome as his charming father, but they secretly hoped he would not inherit the selfish, stone-cold heart of his mother's. As the months slowly passed on, Queen Voina seemed to become more withdrawn- which was pleasing to all, though they would dare never to say such a thing out loud. She suffered from depression, and resentment slowly began to boil in her core at the love and reverence those gave to her little son." The woman paused, letting her words linger in the air for effect, before she leaned closer to Sarah and continued, "Then, the boy began acting differently. Where the child had been silent before, he began to stir every night for almost no reason at all. His cries could be heard throughout the castle, but none could soothe him. His mother gave no concern, they say she wouldn't even bat an eye. The infant would not smile or laugh. He would cry so hard that his young voice faded out within days, before one morning… the castle awoke to silence. For the first time in weeks, there was not a single cry. They were relieved, yet a little concerned. Rightfully so, for the boy had passed on in the early hours of the morning. His frail form cold and deathly pale."

"What does this have to do with fairies?" Sarah frowned, not caring for the horror story, even if it was just some local legend.

"Well, you see. From then on every child welcomed into this royal family suffered this same fate; all ten of them."

"Wait, this woman had ten kids?" Sarah asked incredulously.

"The king needed an heir, and every baby they had would almost shrivel up and die within weeks of it being born. What made this so strange was that the queen never held remorse for any of her children's deaths. Not a single tear upon her cheek, but the king - he was different. Each death took its toll on him in different ways. His grief so strong that he eventually gave up on having an heir, and he passed the throne down to one of his nephews."

Sarah nodded, beginning to be drawn in and captivated by the story.

"What made this so strange," the lady continued, "Was that the queen was hardly surprised when hearing about the death of her next child. Now, before you say that she shouldn't be surprised because of the frequent occurrence of her children's deaths, I want to tell you that this woman seemed almost delighted every time. It wasn't long until the village began to call her a witch. They believed that she would cast spells upon her children, as they would turn from perfectly healthy and rosy, to pale and sickly overnight, and each time the queen would seem delighted."

"That's horrible," Sarah scowled, repulsed.

"Indeed, but… it wasn't until a certain event that the village began believing that there were more magical beings involved than just witchcraft and curses. A maid was on her way to the royal chambers to change the sheets when she spotted a creature, vile and mean. It hissed at her like a cat would, and quickly scurried out of the room with haste. It was not until the maid recovered from her shock that she realized what it had been…" She paused.

"What was it?" Sarah asked, leaning closer.

"... A fairy."

Sarah snorted.

"Laugh all you want, but it's true. I've seen the pests myself. They don't grant wishes and wave around some magical wand like most would believe." The old woman scolded.

"No, of course not," Sarah sobered, "Fairies bite."

The old woman shook her head in pity, seeming to take Sarah's suddenly serious tone as mocking. "It's not something to mess around with. They say the fairies that you laugh and joke about are the very same ones that stole away the Queen's children, switching them out with changelings on her request."

"Then," Sarah paused, "Doesn't that mean that they do grant wishes? Just not the ones that most would often request."

"Well, I wouldn't know. I was warned not to wish for anything from fairies." The old woman scowled.

Sarah turned towards the window, peeking out at the large, beautiful trees that now seemed so full of possibilities. "Why did you decide to share this with me?" She asked.

"...Because... you looked like the type to be interested." The old woman winked, and without another word, she rose from the chair and slowly walked away, towards where her husband was 'supposed' to be buying her a drink, but Sarah figured he looked like the type that would be easily distracted.

This dismissal was a little odd, but then again, this lady was a little odd. Sarah believed that her sudden departure was not her necessarily being rude, but more part of the lady's quirky mind. Sarah soon realized, after the quirky woman's departure, she had never asked the lady for her name. Not that it really mattered, she would not be staying in Ireland long, anyways.

She shrugged, glad to be alone, and looked back out of the window with a wondering and curious stare. The trees swayed in the wind, their branches caressing the night sky, and Sarah sighed peacefully. The story had been a little odd, and some parts had not made sense to her… Since when did fairies kidnap babies? She had seen, first hand, goblins steal her brother. When she had made her wish, it was not some tiny little tooth fairy that came scurrying throughout her room to take her little brother away. That would have been utterly ridiculous, and she would have laughed out loud.

No, it had been goblins, lots of them.

Sarah shook her head, now realizing that the old woman must have been toying with her. Pulling her leg with some made up fairy story, and was silently laughing her butt off at how serious she had taken it. God, Sarah almost chuckled out loud in embarrassment, she had seemed pretty gullible, hadn't she?

There were no fairies here… Sarah told herself. It was just some old castle that had a fake legend to keep customers in and out.

Cleaning up her plate that was now scraped clean, she stood and prepared herself to walk away. Before she could, however, her eye was caught on something. A twinkling light, shining brightly outside, so very small, but strong. Then others joined it within seconds, so tiny they reminded her of pinpricks.

Sarah cocked her head to the side in wonder but shrugged it off after a second. Looking around she noted that no one else had seemed to notice the lights. It was probably some frequent occurrence; a car or street light. Part of Sarah's mind reminded her that street lights did not twinkle, but she pushed that thought away with a scoff.

Sure, she had seen fairies before, but that did not mean that they were here. Sarah quickly turned her back on the window before she could give the idea much more dissection, and she gathered her plates and walked away without looking back.

She just needed some sleep.

It was not until Sarah was halfway to her room when she realized that perhaps the old woman had meant fae when she said fairy... That would certainly explain the kidnapping of children, and perhaps the story had somehow become twisted throughout the years, causing it to warn others about the wrong things, such as tiny fairies. Which, Sarah relented, was not so bad. If people knew that fae and goblins were the ones that kidnapped children, no doubt they would have tried to wish away their own. Or perhaps she was overthinking this, and the story was a simply made up story about a tiny little fairy, but fae was very closely related to fairies, were they not? Or would they be insulted at this inference?

She could not help but remember that a certain Goblin King was fae.

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 **Thanks _so_ much for reading and as always, please tell me what you think.**

 **I don't know much history and stuff on Ireland - remember that this story is a work of fiction. Most of the characters and historic events are completely made up by me, except for the Labyrinth characters. I do not own the labyrinth.**


	2. Chapter 2

Sarah breathed in the fresh, crisp air. Her feet walking with their own mind, and she heedlessly allowed them to take her where they lead. Rich, lush grass bent beneath her sneakers, and her face was upturned, eyes closed peacefully under the blue sky.

Had she ever felt so calm, Sarah wondered.

She had woken up that morning with an overwhelming urge to explore, bolting through the castle doors faster than she had entered them the night before. Perhaps it was the excitement of seeing a new land, a new place. Adventuring had always been a favorite on her lists of things to do, and Ireland was one of the bests place to do so. Sarah felt her insides fluttering with glee, her hands clutching a small book to her chest tightly.

Her feet noticed a change in the ground beneath her. It seemed like less dirt and rocks, and more grass than before. She opened her eyes and blinked in surprise, scanning the sudden field before her. The green trees around her broke away as she slowed her walking pace, revealing a large clearing ahead.

"Well," Sarah nodded with appreciation, "Seems like a good place to stop and read."

Her feet froze just before she entered completely into the clearing. She hesitated slightly, part of her suddenly becoming tense. It was odd that her body seemed to warn her before her mind knew what exactly was the problem, but something told her that it was not a good idea to trespass into this area. The other half of her debated stubbornly against it, asking herself what the harm was. "Snakes." She nodded to herself, somewhat pleased with an excuse to not continue. Sarah briefly wondered if Ireland even had snakes, but decided it did not matter, she was not continuing further.

Part of her brain was wary of the field. It felt as if the clearing was too quiet, too peaceful. The calmness it pulsated felt false. Almost lulling her in, like a predator would to its prey.

Sarah snorted, shaking her head. She was acting ridiculous; it was just a little field, but she could not help but to take heed and not continue. Her intuition had gotten her this far in life- it had even gotten her through a practically unsolvable labyrinth- so Sarah decided to listen to it, and she plopped herself down on a large rock on the outside perimeter of the circular clearing.

Cracking open the book that she had been holding so tightly against her chest as a hesitant shield; Sarah immersed herself into another world, feeling at peace once again.

The sun slowly rose high into the sky, beaming straight down at her as the hours passed. Sarah took no notice, she was too lost in the fictional world her eyes devoured rapidly. In fact, too consumed was she, that she hardly heard the sound of branches shifting as a magnificent barn owl perched itself above her, it's large black eyes focusing on the young woman with such intelligence and intent.

It ruffled its wings, shifting on the branch, the movement causing Sarah to tear her eyes away from the pages, furrowing her brows and turning to see what was causing such noise. Her green eyes caught nothing in sight that could be the culprit, gazing around the peaceful forest and finding no movement or other life. She could have sworn she had heard something. Perhaps, it had just been a harmless rabbit or squirrel? Maybe the wind or her mind playing tricks on itself? Sarah shrugged, abandoning the thought to seek out the cause of the noise, and allowed herself to continue reading, her mind once again enveloped in a fantasy world.

The owl continued to study her. Cocking its head every few seconds to get a better view of the young woman. While owls were known to represent knowledge and wisdom, the barn owl held a certain amount of acuity and cleverness that would stun most who saw it, but none saw the owl. Not even the girl it was so closely watching.

A half of an hour passed, and Sarah sighed as the story she had chosen seemed to be ending on a sad note. Shaking her head, she reluctantly closed the book.

She did not understand how someone could write such a sad ending. If she was to ever create a book, she would end it on a happy note so the reader would not close the book with tears in their eyes, but that was the beauty of it, she supposed. To _make_ the reader feel something.

"At least there's a sequel," she muttered to herself.

Drawing herself up from the rock she sat on, Sarah tried to push away the melancholy thoughts that the story had generated in her mind. The day was too beautiful to waste it on being sad, besides, it was just a story.

With this thought on her mind, Sarah decided to travel back to the hotel. Her eyes scanned the forest, ignoring the open field that her back was turned against and searching for the trail that had led her here. She frowned, it was nowhere in sight.

"Where the heck am I?" She asked herself, fear prickling the hairs on the back of her neck. Sarah turned, shielding her eyes from the beams of light that broke through the trees directly above her, and desperately seeked the small trail. Her feet shifting in the dirt as she changed directions once again.

The owl that perched above her cocked its head to the side, studying the alarm on her comely features. It seemed to allow her to remain in distress for a few minutes, before it shifted in the tree, intentionally drawing her attention with its unnecessary loud movements.

Sarah's green eyes flickered to the branch that hung above her. Blinking in surprise at the animal that had settled there without her knowledge. The barn owl blinked back, mimicking her.

They stared at each other for seconds. A challenge written clearly in Sarah's eyes, and the owl gazed back determinedly with mocking innocence.

Sarah shook her head. There was no way that this owl was _him_. She had not seen him in years, in owl form or humanoid form. So this could not be him, right? Why would he bother visiting her after so long? No, it would not make sense; he had no reason to visit her now. Besides, there were probably millions of barn owls in the world. It was hardly a coincidence that she would stumble upon one.

The owl clenched its talons, fluffing its wings in preparation. Its body tensed up, ready to take flight. Sarah took a wary step back, throwing her hands up in front of her and gasping as the creature jumped off the branch. She had almost expected the owl to dive straight towards her, claws first. Instead, the owl swiftly flew a few trees away from her, landing softly. It turned its head and quietly looked back expectantly at Sarah.

She stared back, scowling in confusion. What was that about? Had she scared the creature away? No, it did not look scared. It looked like it was waiting for her… like it wanted her to follow it.

Sarah shrugged, what was the harm, she asked herself. She was probably lost anyways. Hesitating for only a few seconds, Sarah slowly followed the owl. At seeing her decision, the owl perked up hopefully, though she would never allow herself to admit that. She was quite content in assuming that it was just another owl, ignoring the fact that it displayed human-like mannerisms. Once she neared the owl, it took flight once again, leading her to another tree further into the forest.

They continued this little dance for what Sarah felt had been half an hour. Eventually, the owl settled in a tree and refused to move. Sarah stared at it, waiting for it to lead her further, but it ignored her. The owl did not make eye contact again, which Sarah felt was odd. It looked down, instead, dismissing her. She did not know why that bothered her as much as it did. This was just an owl, why was she expecting more?

The young woman continued to gaze at the owl for a few more seconds. Almost as if sensing this, the owl fluttered its wings and nodded. What? Sarah tilted her head to the side, was the owl nodding at her?

She noticed it continued to peer down at the ground, and she followed its eye-line, curious to see what it was so intently studying.

"Oh!" Sarah exclaimed, finally understanding its strange behavior. She looked up at the barn owl with awe. It had _led_ her back to the trail. The owl had helped her. "I didn't realize I had traveled this far…" She said to it, feeling a little strange at talking to the creature, but she continued, "Thank you…"

The owls eyes flickered to hers quickly, its body suddenly becoming alert. The black eyes of the creature narrowed, boring into hers as if her words of gratitude had been the most insulting thing it had ever heard. The body language of the owl seemed more… predator like, and suddenly Sarah felt a little unsure. It stared at her as if she was its prey, aggressive hunger unveiling in its eyes. She stumbled back at the sudden change in the demeanor of the animal. It looked quite vexed and totally… indignant, but Sarah could not figure out what she had done to anger the animal so quickly.

Sarah hastily ducked down and decided that now would be the perfect time to leave. She had forgotten it was just an animal, an owl of all things. Owls were beautiful creatures, really, but they were also hunters and could be quite the enemy if angered. She stared at the path and avoided the owl's eyes, as she could feel them dangerously burning into her back. Her feet followed the trail in the direction she believed would lead her back to the hotel, not once daring to look back at the owl that she quickly left behind.

* * *

She entered the cafe, once again. Just like the night before, Sarah chose the seat next to the window, settling down with a steaming cup of coffee. Sighing, she warmed her hands against the mug, allowing herself to calm her nerves after the unsettling event with the owl.

Sarah could have sworn it had led her back to the path she had come from, but were owls that intelligent? She shook her head; she was not going to get all worked up over such a small event. This did not mean _he_ was back. It did not mean that it _was_ him. Even if it had been, he did not seem like he was angry with her… for running the labyrinth at least. She shuddered as the memory of the black, unwavering eyes of the owl stared at her as if she had insulted its mother.

Still, she refused to believe it was him. She refused to even let herself say his name, let alone _think_ it, lest she gain unwanted attention.

Although, a part of her mind relented, if it had been him, what was he doing _here_? Was there something special about this place? Had she finally found magic? Excitement bubbled in her veins, causing her heart to pump faster. Was this the end to her exhausting search for magic? Would she find it here?

Sarah sipped on her coffee, distracting herself before she could hype herself up further. She still had a ways to go before she found the key to accessing magic. Even if she could not wield it herself, finding a way to cross the borders of the worlds was perfect enough for her musing heart.

She felt a presence standing next to her, and Sarah adjusted in her seat in order to let the person sit next to her.

"You never did tell me your name."

The old woman smiled, and Sarah could not figure out why she suddenly _wanted_ to talk to her. The night before she had felt embarrassed and a little unsure when it came to her. She was a strange lady, Sarah admitted to herself, but it seemed she was the only person that could answer her questions.

"My name's Cara."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Cara." Sarah smiled back at her. Her mind searched for the right question to ask, as she had millions on her mind. Wanting to bluntly ask if she knew anything else about magic, or perhaps taking a more indirect approach? Sarah opened her mouth to speak, but before she could Cara's attention snapped to the window. She frowned, turning to look at what the old woman was so intently staring at.

"Seems like you've got a little friend." Cara said with something in her voice that sounded odd, like there was so much more to what she was saying. Like a teacher holding back on the lesson in fear that the students would not grasp it.

"Wha?" Sarah furrowed her brows and looked outside.

To say that she was somewhat startled at what she saw would be an understatement. If she had pretended to be aloof earlier, the sham was gone. The owl sat in a nearby tree; the same owl she had seen only half an hour before. Its black eyes watched Sarah, and only Sarah alone. This was definitely not just another owl, Sarah's sense of doubt unwillingly slipped away. And like being doused in cold water, or the wool being ripped from the eyes; Sarah jumped out of her seat in shock at that revelation.

A normal owl would not have led her back to the trail, but Sarah was human, and she could continue her life in stubborn ignorance at the deed. However, she had been sure she had _left_ that owl in the forest behind her. There was no way it would have been able to find her whereabouts without some tracking device. It was just not possible, and she could not walk blindly away from the intensity of the stare the creature gave her.

"Are you alright, darling?" Cara reached out to Sarah in concern. Her eyes studying her with a look that only a worried mother knew how to do best.

"Uh, y - yes, I'm fine." Sarah stammered.

"It's just a little barn owl," the old woman assured her, though there was something in her voice that told Sarah that she hardly believed herself.

Sarah nodded in response, and turned her head towards the window once again. Only this time, nothing but thin air remained in the once occupied tree. The owl had vanished, as if it had never existed in the first place. Her green eyes widened, clearly perturbed. Where had it gone? Why had it come here, anyways? Was it a warning, was it _his_ way of establishing his power and dominance? What did he want?

"Oh, seems like he left quickly." The old woman remarked.

"How do you know it was a male?" Sarah looked towards the woman with distrust in her eyes.

Cara looked taken aback, as if that was the last thing she had expected Sarah to ask her, and it probably was. The anxiety in Sarah's features shined so clearly, like an open window or book, as if you could read the emotions straight off of her. This would simply not do, Cara shook her head with pity. She could not have the girl wary of her so soon.

"Well," Cara crooned, "A male's chest is more white than a female's… So I just assumed." The old woman shook her head, "Dear, are you okay?"

Sarah nodded her head, telling herself it was not something that she should get so worked up over. It still could be a simple owl, or perhaps another one? Just because it was a barn owl did not mean that it was him, nor did it mean that every time she ran into one that it was the same one. There was no reason to be such a paranoid mess.

Sarah sat back down in the chair, her eyes would glance frequently at the spot the owl had been in only seconds before. "I'm sorry," Sarah said once she had finally calmed herself down. "It's probably all the caffeine I've been drinking." She motioned to the coffee that was practically filled to the brim. The old woman gave her a skeptical look, but fortunately did not press the matter any more.

"So," Sarah began, deciding that small talk was the best way to go, "Where's your husband?"

"Oh, he's around here somewhere. I don't quite bother him much, as long as he stays out of my way. Besides," Cara shrugged, "It's good to have me some good 'ole girl time." She winked at Sarah.

Sarah blushed, sipping from her steaming coffee in silence. After a few seconds, she slowly placed the cup back on the table and turned towards Cara. "I was wondering what your name means." Sarah asked.

"Well, it means friend," Cara gave Sarah a wide, cheeky smile, "So I must be a friend of royalty."

"What do you mean?"

"Your name means princess, and my name means friend. I supposed that makes me a friend of royalty." The old woman pointed a knowing finger at Sarah, but her words and the tone of her voice hinted at some hidden meaning. A meaning that Sarah could not quite figure out, but she decided not to ponder this too long. Simply shrugging and decided to take the words at face-value.

"I'm no princess," Sarah blushed.

"You've never wanted to be one?" Cara leaned forward, suddenly filled with interest and… she seemed to almost be affronted by the words Sarah had uttered, though Sarah could not figure out quite why. She had been called princess since she was old enough to comprehend what people were saying, but it was only because that was what her name meant. During her run through the labyrinth, Sarah had come across several realizations; she was _not_ a princess, and she should stop acting like one.

"Well, I'm sure every girl has wanted to be once, at least once in their life. Either for the lavish castles and luxurious lifestyle, or the _adventure_ …" Sarah's eyes looked up dreamily at the word, "I've always been the latter one, of course."

"I see…" Cara nodded, as if this sudden confession had appeased her. Then, frowning in thought, the old woman leaned forward, seeming to almost taste the way her next words sounded before she let them slip from her mouth, "You came here in search of something, didn't you?"

Sarah's eyes flickered to the old woman's wise and knowledgeable ones. Without a second of thought or hesitation, Sarah nodded with earnest sincerity, and she said,

"Yes, I did. I came here for magic."

* * *

She was back in the forest.

This time it was different. No light shown through the trees. Heavy shadows dominated the surrounding landscape- nothing was visible except the paleness of her hands before her. Stars were hidden with a black blanket, though she did not question the logic behind the sudden disappearance of light. Not even the moon showed its face.

Sarah couldn't remember venturing out into the forest. In fact, she couldn't recall a single memory in her life, but as most dreams went, she gave no thought to this at all.

The young woman walked to the edge of the forest, passing a familiar rock that looked like a perfect place to sit. She stood before a large clearing, observing the perimeter of the dark trees around it, when suddenly, the forest behind her felt unsafe. The hairs on her arms stood, and her ears picked up _every_ little noise the night made. Sarah shivered in the darkness, but there was no one near her to see the movement.

She raised a bare, pale foot, and as she did, the wind around her picked up. A large breeze generated from almost nowhere, practically forcing her back into the forest. Sarah scowled, she did not want to go _back_. She wanted to go forward.

Her slim body pushed against the gust of wind, and the harder she pushed, the harder it resisted. With a victorious smile, Sarah hastily brought her foot down onto the field, crossing over some invisible border- or boundary line. Though her grin was smug, the feeling that immediately radiated throughout her body was no less than terror. She gasped and as she tensed in shock.

Whatever she had just crossed, was not meant to be crossed by her.

A screech in the distance broke through the silent night. Sarah's head shot up in absolute fear. Another puff of air brought a murder of crows with it. They glided off of the trees surrounding the clearing. Before they had blended in perfectly, shielding themselves from her and camouflaging in the pitch-black trees. Now, they were a sharp contrast against the green field, and they were darker than the night sky. They flew through the air faster than the speed of light, and Sarah stumbled back when they seemed to direct themselves at _her_.

"No," She choked, and before she could think to do anything else, she was running.

Pebbles and sticks broke through the skin of her feet as she fought her way through the forest once again. Sarah did not look back. Her panting was no match in volume against the chanting of the crows behind her. The further she got into the forest, the further the crows gained. Their amounts increasing in number as she passed tree by tree.

Then, Sarah fell.

Her chin painfully met with a rock before her. A sharp ache shooting throughout her body at the harsh contact. She did not cry out as she silently pulled herself off of the ground with haste, but it was too late. The mass of crows were closing in. Before Sarah had time to reflect on the cliche action of her fall, a flutter of white joined her side.

The owl.

It screeched. The piercing sound louder than the crows in joined force could make. Sarah found herself with her hands over her ears, trying desperately to block out all noise. To no avail, of course. The sounds still broke through to her eardrums, ringing loudly as the owl fought the crows viciously off.

Then her eyes snapped open, the screams of the dream loudly echoing. The fear in her body lingered for minutes as she tried to calm herself. The owl had fought for her, defending her. She repeated that thought in her head as she relaxed, and minutes passed at an achingly slow speed as her eyes drifted closed once again.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading the next chapter! Disclaimer: Yeah, we all know I don't own the Labyrinth.**

 **I wanted to thank all of those that reviewed, every single one was _very_ helpful. **

**Especially the reviews on Ireland! I've always wanted to visit, as I contain quite a significant amount of Irish in me, anyways. So I wanted to take a moment to really thank Lylabeth1 on your review, even if you don't see this. It was very helpful and inspiring. Also, to Honoria Granger - We shall see... *Cackles maniacally***

 **Uhm...**

 **Please, leave a favorite, follow and/or a review! Tell me how I'm doing.**

 **Hope you enjoyed.**


	3. Chapter 3

A groggy Sarah left her hotel room that morning with a sliver of hope at a somewhat normal day. Sadly, that little piece of hope died as soon as the tired young woman closed the door behind her.

She sighed as the sound of laughter and talking appeared to her left. All she wanted was a morning of peace after a restless night. The nightmares had continued repeatedly throughout the night; all of them about the same thing, the field. What was it about that place that had her so on edge? Were these nightmares a warning to stay away from them, or was it trying to tell her she needs to go there?

The sounds of laughter broke Sarah out of her brooding and confused thoughts. She turned with a wary expression and saw the old couple rambunctiously leaving their hotel room. The old woman spotted Sarah, and hastily waved at her.

"Good morning, dear!" Cara called. The old woman smiled brightly, leaving Sarah to wonder how it was possible to have this much energy in the morning. Especially without coffee.

"Morning," Sarah waved.

Earl, Cara's husband, stood off to the side, staring at Sarah with a guarded and reserved expression. He seemed less cheery to see her than he had before. His demeanor was suddenly serious, but Sarah shrugged this off as just his strange personality. Maybe he was not as extroverted as his wife, or perhaps, Sarah decided, he was not much of an early bird. That was something Sarah could understand wholeheartedly.

"We were just heading off to the cafe for breakfast, would you like to join us?" Cara shuffled forward, her hands busy as she pulled a heavy winter coat over herself. Earl still stayed silent.

"Um, yeah. I was just going down there, too." Sarah agreed. She couldn't see why not, perhaps a morning chat would take her mind off of a few things, or maybe she would get some questions answered.

Cara nodded, her red lipstick creating a dark contrast against her gleaming white teeth. "Good, we'll just-"

"Actually, _dear._ " Earl interrupted his wife with a warning look, " I have a change in plans. Remember what we were talking about doing earlier?" He raised his eyebrows at her in an inquiring manner. The old man now standing in an authoritative and commanding posture in front of his wife.

Sarah was almost as taken aback as the older woman. The way he placed a hand on Cara's shoulder. The way he stood between them protectively. It was as if he was expecting one of them to pounce. He eyed Sarah cautiously, like one would to a feral animal, and his posture was tense.

Cara laughed lightheartedly and waved him off, "Oh, Earl, you weren't actually serious, were you?"

"I did mean it," the old man's eyes met Sarah's, "We will not be eating in the cafe this morning."

Sarah simply shook her head and smiled. She was not the kind of person to intrude on someone else's plans, neither did she want to include herself in the beginnings of an argument. "That's okay, I was just going to get a coffee anyways…" She trailed off.

"Oh Earl, always making things difficult." Cara almost pouted, but then seemed to think better of it. Her eyes giving her husband a challenging look, and for a second it seemed as if they were having a silent argument. Their eyes glared at each other's in a way that made Sarah uncomfortable. After a few seconds, the old woman huffed and broke eye contact with her husband, she turned to walk down the hall with only a single side glance at Earl. As she passed Sarah she leaned over and- much to the consternation of her husband- she muttered with just enough volume to reach the old man's ears, "We'll talk later." The old woman's eyes sparkled as she winked mischievously at Sarah. Sarah could only give her a small smile, not wanting to be very acknowledged by the angry husband. Earl narrowed his eyes at his wife, but then seemed to give up as if he had decided it was not worth arguing over.

Cara waved kindly at Sarah, and then continued to cheerily walk down the hall without looking back once. Her curls bouncing as she strolled down the hallway stairs.

Earl remained standing in the same place, studying Sarah. She looked back at him awkwardly, debating whether to just wave and walk away or say something nice.

Kill people with kindness, or however the saying went.

Although, before she could say anything, Earl began to follow Cara, leaving Sarah with a domineering look and only one warning:

"Stay away from my wife."

Sarah shuddered at the memory as she sat in the cafe with her daily dose of coffee in-hand. She tried desperately to remember if she had said anything insulting to him. Her mind was drawing a blank. In fact, Sarah realized, she had not said hardly a single word to Earl the entire vacation. For some reason he was never around when Cara and her had their chats. So what had upset him so badly?

Oh well, she sighed. She was not going to be living here, so it didn't quite matter what Earl thought of her. Sarah did not want to spend her once in a lifetime vacation sour because of some dramatic old man. At the moment she had only one purpose here in Ireland, finding magic. She still did not know how one would find magic, but determined she was.

Maybe she already had a lead.

It was something about that _place_ , that field. She could have sworn that the second she had accidentally stumbled upon it, she had felt her body tremble in recognition. It was familiar, yet so unknown and mysterious. Something that felt so unreachable and far away from her little jejune world. She wanted whatever it was, but it was terrifying at the same time. Hence why she had cautiously stayed on the outside perimeter of the field.

Sarah wanted to go back there.

Just to satisfy her curiosity. She wanted to see if it was indeed something worth questioning. The feeling of danger mixed with wonder and excitement had never been this strong except when she had landed in the Labyrinth at the young age of fourteen. The difference was, then she _had_ to journey through the menacing twisted stone walls and bushy hedges. _Now_ , she did not have to put herself in such unsafe situations, but she simply _wanted_ to. It was the risk she felt she had to take to gain back magic in her life, and if her nightmare was anything to go off of, curiosity definitely killed the cat.

"But satisfaction brought it back…" Sarah laughed quietly to herself with a self-amused smirk painted on her full lips.

She shook her head and sipped her coffee, swallowing her smile along with the bitter taste of her drink.

However, that did bring forward a serious question; was it safe to have magic back in her life? If one believed in fate, then they would say that it was meant to be for her to experience magic, but if one did not, then they might warn her to stay away from it. She was not born of that world, making magic not quite agreeable with her fragile mortal mind and body.

How she wished it was.

There were dangers for humans when it came to magic. She knew that. Her nightmare last night had been proof enough, and it had humbled her hasty search. Sarah had to be more careful and cautious. No more rushing head first into things. Acting on impulse would only get her in trouble, and hope and faith will only get one so far. It had gotten her through the labyrinth, but what if she rashly made a choice that could very well end her life?

Sarah closed her eyes, shutting out that thought. She was getting way ahead of herself.

She gathered her stuff up, gulping down the last remaining drops of the no longer steaming coffee. Not quite sure what to do with her spare time, Sarah headed up to her room. Perhaps she would grab a book to read, or maybe she would venture out around town. She shrugged, deciding to grab a satchel, and quickly placed one of her favorite books in it, then she grabbed a pocket full of money and returned to the lobby. Sarah gave a friendly wave to the working staff, and headed out of the large ornate castle doors, preparing herself for a full day.

* * *

"Hey, dad?"

"Sarah!"

"Hey, how's it going?" Sarah smiled into the cheap prepaid cell phone she had just purchased at a supermarket. She was _not_ going to risk those roaming fees.

"Great, it's all good here… How are you, honey? Being safe?" Concern laced his voice. He was always a protective father, making sure she obeyed her curfew and made her check in on him when exploring the small town she had called her home. There was a point in time when she had thought he cared little for her. Her brother had been a handful, making her father seem quite aloof when it came to her. If she had told him she was going out, he would simply nod his head and continue smothering his favorite child- or that was at least what she had believed then.

However, life had been stressful then. A new wife, a one year old son, adjusting to a job promotion and a teenaged daughter that was spoiled and ungrateful in every way. Sarah understood now that it was not so much that _she_ was in the way, but it was that _he_ was overwhelmed. A lack of communication had damaged the relationship. Sometimes plans were forgotten until the very moment before and it would leave either Sarah or her parents disgruntled, often both.

"I'm doing good, dad. I'm being safe and I'm having fun." Sarah tried to assure him.

"Good, that's good," she could practically hear him smile into the phone, "And how is Ireland?"

"Oh, gosh… It's," Sarah paused and looked around at the scenery, she stood in front of a supermarket in a small town, but her memory of the castle and the forests had her falling in love all over again,"It's beautiful. It's so lush and gorgeous. The people are so nice-"

"-That's great," He stopped mid-sentence and Sarah could hear a young voice repeating some mantra in the background. Her heartbeat sped up excitedly. She heard her father sigh into the phone before he reluctantly said, "Do you want to talk to Toby?"

"Yeah, put him on."

The phone made a few odd noises. Rustling as her father handed the phone to her six-year-old brother, and heavy breathing as the clumsy little boy held the phone too close to his mouth with his chubby fingers.

"Hi Sarah." The young voice said, and she could tell he was trying to contain his excitement and sound 'grown up'. He was only six and desperately wanted to grow up, much like her in her teenage years. Yet, she had also not wanted to let go of her childhood. It was a confusing conflict she had faced, wanting to be treated like an adult, but never wanted to grow up. Toby was much of the same way; she just hoped he wouldn't become as spoiled as she had.

"Hey, Toby! How's it going?" Sarah beamed, though her brother would never see how brightly she smiled.

After she had ran the labyrinth, things had gotten better. She was still the same person, and she still had those days where she felt like pulling her hair out and yelling at everyone. The difference was, she had less of those days and more days spent caring and being thankful for everyone. Sarah had felt tremendous guilt after running the labyrinth, and her family had noticed there was something off. Though she never breathed a word about the magical world she had briefly visited, she did admit she was feeling ashamed for the way she treated her family. She had taken her family for granted, and running through the labyrinth made her realize just how much. So she tried harder at being a better person, and every day it became easier, then soon it became gratifying to see someone smile. Especially seeing her little brother smile.

"I'm good. I drew a picture of you at school today." He declared proudly into the phone, "My teacher thought it was cool that you're in Ireland."

"Awe, that's sweet." Sarah's smile grew, "I miss you, Tobes."

"I miss you too - oh, here's daddy again." Toby blurted, and once again the only sounds audible to her ears was muttering and rustling in the receiver. She shook her head, amused at the attention span of the little boy. Sarah tossed a lock of hair over her shoulder and held her jacket closer to her body, as she waited for her father to pick up the phone.

It was getting quite cold in Ireland, Sarah briefly noticed. Clouds hung overhead, swelling up quickly with water. Sadly, it seemed she would not be enjoying the sun much longer on her trip. Perhaps she would have to go out exploring again before the weather got too bad. At least it was not snowing yet.

"Hey, honey." Her father's deep voice finally said.

"Hey, dad. Where'd Toby run off to so fast?" She teased.

"His cartoon took a commercial break and now it's back on." He nonchalantly replied.

"Makes sense."

"Karen says hello, and she wants you to be safe." Her father informed her.

"Tell her I said hello, too." Sarah smiled again. The relationship with her step-mother had greatly increased after the labyrinth. Karen had become some sort of best friend to her, though they both had disagreements occasionally, but her step-mother made it known that she was always going to support Sarah, and she stuck true to her word. When Sarah had been disappointed at her high school prom, Karen had been there to ensure her that there were better things to look forward to in life. When their dog Merlin had passed away, Karen had been the first one to give Sarah a reassuring hug. Truth be told, she had replaced the empty spot Sarah's mother had left in her life, and Sarah finally allowed herself to admit it.

"Well, dad. I'm going to let you go now. Don't want to run up the bill." Sarah said.

"Alright, I love you." He said, and sounded reluctant to let her go. She cracked a small smile at that. She had always been a Daddy's Girl.

"Love you, too." Sarah said, and they both hung up the phones.

* * *

Sarah returned to the castle after doing a little bit of shopping for souvenirs. She was standing outside when tiny droplets of water fell from the sky. Her hand reached up to feel the sudden pressure on her head, and she noticed her hair was slightly damp. As she pulled her hand away, the wind picked up and the rain started to fall harder.

"Don't worry, dear! I've got you."

Sarah spun around on her heels to see Cara making her way up to her with a big umbrella. The old woman walked quickly up to Sarah, holding her jacket closed with one hand and holding the umbrella in another. Cara looked at her with a large smile on her face. She seemed to be very glad that she had caught Sarah at the right time, and without the interference of her pesky husband.

"Thank you." Sarah greeted the old woman as they automatically huddled together.

Cara shook her head, "Oh, don't thank me."

"Okay, well," Sarah paused and searched for the right words, "I appreciate the gesture, then."

"That's more like it," The old woman teased.

They were silent for a minute as they slowly walked towards the front doors of the castle. Earl was nowhere to be found, and it seemed like every step they took was slow and lingering. Perhaps, Sarah decided, she should ask why he had acted so… distant. When she had first arrived here he had greeted her with a hug, what had caused him to change so much?

"Is your husband…" Sarah shook her head, not sure how to word such a question, "Does he not like me, or something?"

"Oh," Cara waved a hand, scoffing, "Ignore him, he's just a grumpy old man."

"But… I feel like he doesn't want me to hang out with you. Did I say something?" Sarah asked, her green eyes big and studying the old woman, waiting for an answer that would have her nodding her head in agreement. She would like to know _what_ she did wrong, so she could right it. However, the answer she was given was not as clear as she would have liked.

"It's not that he doesn't like _you_. He just doesn't like me _talking_ to you." Cara casually corrected.

Sarah frowned. That was not something that she could really fix or apologize for. "Why doesn't he like us talking?" She cocked her head to the side.

"Why, because of the things we talk about." Cara answered with a haughty voice.

Sarah's scowl became a look of confusion, "And what _do_ we talk about?"

"Oh, you know. That little fairy story I told you." Cara shrugged as if it was no big deal.

Sarah knew for certain, however, that Earl had not been there when they had talked. In fact, Cara seemed to shoo him away every time they talked. "How does he know about that?" Sarah asked as they reached the castle doors.

Cara shook out the umbrella and closed it. Then she turned to Sarah with a thoughtful expression on her face, "I suppose it's because I tell the same story to everyone of your kind." The old woman then continued to shake off her wet jacket and fluff her damp hair, though Sarah stood frozen on spot.

"My kind?" Sarah questioned. What was that supposed to mean?

Cara stopped her movements as if she had made some sort of fatal error, then after a moment of silence she shook her head and laughed lightly. "Oh, you know, your _personality_. I tell everyone those stories if it seems that they like that kind of stuff, and you do, don't you?" Cara smiled sweetly and opened the front door for the both of them.

"Yes, I suppose I do…" Sarah said, stepping into the warm room.

"He thinks that it will… Oh, how did he put it?" Cara scowled in thought, "Ah, yes, 'Poison your mind.' He's a little dramatic at times…" The old woman rolled her eyes as if she was way above it.

"Well, I don't really know him that well." Sarah gave her a nervous smile, not wanting to say anything that would come back to haunt her. Even if she thought Earl's earlier words had been quite rude and uncalled for.

Cara gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Finally getting their bearings together, and standing in the lobby, they both said a quick goodbye and Cara scurried off before her dear husband could spot them chatting.

Sarah, on the other hand, was left standing there a little confused. While Cara had answered her questions, it still did not make much sense to her. If she had not said anything that would have insulted the man, then why would he have acted so rude to her? Maybe she should ask him.

A roar of thunder outside jolted her thoughts and made Sarah jump.

Perhaps she should wait for the storm to pass?

* * *

 **This was just a little filler chapter, but I think things will pick up more next chapter!**

 **Kellyn1604: Glad you're excited! I'm looking forward to Jareth's and Sarah's reunion just as much as you are! Hah.**

 **DarkEnigma322: Hmmmm, can she trust her, or does she have bad intentions...? I can't give anything away. :P Thank you for reading! You'll have to find out... ;)**

 **Thank you Guest and Kieira! Your reviews keep me writing! They give me more incentive to work harder on my stories. :)) So thank YOU.**

 **Lylabeth 1: I'm glad you caught on with that little thanking part. My friend who checks my chapters before I post them didn't catch on, so I was a little worried. Then again, she doesn't quite pay attention to Folklore and alike stuff. Cara was kind of a whim of mine, but as I write more I come up with more to write about on her. Also, on the crows, no I haven't read/watched the Game of Thrones, but I have tons of friends that recommend it to me. I might check it out sometime. Thank you for another one of your inspiring reviews, because of them I have actually started researching more into this stuff. Everything I was writing about before was just stuff that I've heard or seen before, but now I'm getting more ideas.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for your reviews! They really do make my day!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the labyrinth. :/**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own the labyrinth.**

 **Now that I've stated that sad little fact, a quick message to you readers. The poem below is "The Fairies," by William Allingham. Go check out the whole poem, it's great.**

 **Oh! And also, Merry Christmas ya filthy animal.**

* * *

"Up the airy mountain,

Down the rushy glen,

We daren't go a hunting

For fear of little men;

Wee folk, good folk,

Trooping all together;

Green jacket, red cap,

And white owl's feather!"

The impulse to explore had taken over, and Sarah felt with full certainty that the clearing she had stumbled upon just days ago had the answers she was seeking. Only this time she would be more cautious, never the one to take a simple dream by face-value, Setting her jaw, and barely waiting out the storm, Sarah took her satchel with her and promised herself she would not step foot in the field. Just explore the perimeter.

The only sound that invaded her ears was the soft crunching of leaves and sticks underneath her sneakers. The rain had calmed into a soft drizzle, barely able to reach her through the overhead trees. Her green eyes searched the forest around her, trying to identify the direction she had walked last time. Of course, the last time she had found the field by accident, and now that she was actually trying to find it, and it was becoming the most difficult task. Sarah knew that it was not too far from the castle; she was not too concerned with getting lost.

After wandering aimlessly for minutes she finally recognized the trail she was walking on. The scenery had changed only slightly. Where the trees and bushes had been kept trimmed before, they were now more shaggy and bushy. The leaves varied in shapes and sizes, along with color. Before they had followed the same pattern. The trail had been neatly cleared, now it was covered with scattered sticks and pebbles. The forest had become more… wild.

Though for some reason, and she was not sure why, Sarah felt at home. She had always grown up with concrete surroundings and sturdy buildings, yet, she had always felt at peace when adventuring the outside world. As a child she would spend her time alone on a playground, too shy to approach other kids, but almost too independent to want to. Never caring for their games, as even some of the children were too close minded for her fantasies. In her blossoming teenage years, Sarah had spent her time in a beautiful park, acting out plays in her stage costumes her mother had given to her. She had made sure to visit on days when it would be practically empty. Preferring to practice alone, because it was quite embarrassing when she would stumble over a line in a princess play costume.

Since she had been old enough to walk, she had been alone and exploring. Sarah wondered if her independence was a result of being the only child for thirteen years. Her life had definitely slowed down when her brother was born, but she did not mind it so much anymore. Her brother had changed her. She had been spoiled before, but after a few life "lessons" she had tried daily to be a better sister. It was still a struggle sometimes…

But no one is perfect.

Sarah's eyes caught sight of a familiar rock. The same smooth flat surface as the one she had seen the last time she had been here. She smiled in glee, surprised at her luck and sudden sense of direction that had led her here. Sarah refused to believe that it was anything else besides luck.

Her green eyes froze at the sight of the field before her. The bushes parted in the wind as if they were magically welcoming her, and she took a small, hesitant step forward. She closed her eyes as a memory swarmed over her from just an hour before.

* * *

"I don't care what you think, Earl."

The old woman's voice carried through the hallways. Normally, Sarah was not an eavesdropper, but she had slowly crept closer in curiosity. Her hands tightening on her satchel as she slowly walked towards the wooden door the voice had came from.

"I told you-" The rest of the man's words were muffled out.

Sarah's ears were practically burning by now, she knew what they were arguing about. In fact, she had come up here for the very same reason. They were arguing about her. For some reason Earl did not like her. He must have caught their earlier conversation, even though they had parted as soon as they had entered the hotel. She found herself with her ear against their hotel room door, feet ready to bolt in case it sounded as if one of them was about to exit their room. Her conscious screamed at her, saying that it was wrong to listen to an older couple's arguments, but Sarah stubbornly disagreed with herself. If a couple was to argue about her, she had a right to know about it.

"Earl, I'm not doing any harm…" Cara's voice softly drifted through the door and into Sarah's ears. She was calmly stating it, not shouting or raising her voice, but trying to persuade her husband that she was correct.

"You're poisoning her mind!" He hollered, and Sarah took a step back in surprise at the sudden volume of his voice.

"That's such an old argument, and I haven't told her anything," Cara retorted quickly in a tone that had Sarah imagining the older woman waving off her husband. The rest of her sentence became too quite for Sarah's ears to pick up on.

"Cara, she's just a young woman," Sarah heard Earl sigh loudly, "Don't you remember what happened to the _last_ one?"

The last one, Sarah repeated in her mind. What were they talking about? Who were they talking about? She felt like she had invaded a very private moment, or she had just witnessed a crime that she was not supposed to. She slowly began to back away, feeling guilty for standing and listening, yet her curiosity had her feet rooted to the floor, refusing to move further from their place.

"I miscalculated the last one. We both know that… But this one is different. She's been _exposed_ , Earl. She believes!" The old woman stressed these words as if it changed everything.

"If anything happens to her-"

"Nothing will. I haven't told her," Cara snapped, "Not that _they_ would let anything happen to her. I've sensed that they like her, though for what reason I am not sure why."

Sarah frowned, no longer sure _who_ they were talking about. She could have sworn the conversation had started out about her, and she had almost been ready to knock and enter when it had begun, and solve all the problems, but now it seemed more difficult than she had believed. There was another reason why Earl did not want her around Cara, a deeper, more serious reason than simple spite.

"This is dangerous, Cara."

"I'll just bet you that she would be just as thankful for it as I am."

"The _last_ one wasn't." Earl warned. His voice was stern, authoritative even, but even Sarah could hear the defeat in it. His words were simply not enough to convince Cara out of her opinion, whatever it was, and he knew it, too.

"She's been touched, Earl. I can sense it on her. Just give me a little time to help…" Cara's words faded out like a smoldering fire.

Sarah listened for a few more minutes, standing in the open hallway with a confused and brooding expression on her face, though she was not able to interpret anything else from their conversation. The argument had died down, and all that was left was quite mumbling and muffled words.

Were they talking about _her_ , or had it been someone else? She felt as if it could have been about her, yet it made no sense. Should she trust Cara now that it seemed she was apart of something bigger than her? Earl obviously believed Sarah should not go near her, but Cara had not done her any harm so far, and Sarah had believed her to be a nice old woman up until this point. She was usually good at reading people's personalities.

But all of this had Sarah wondering if Cara was apart of some sort of mafia, she mused. As she sifted through her thoughts and memories of Cara, desperately trying to figure out what was going on, she finally parted her lips to breathe a burning question that had pushed its way to the very front of her mind. "What the heck is going on here?"

Abandoning the idea to seek out Earl and apologize for some unknown insult, Sarah had hastily made her way into the forest, escaping from her thoughts.

And from them.

Oddly enough, it made sense to her. It explained why Earl did not want Sarah near his wife. It gave Sarah relief knowing that whatever it is, it was not her fault, though, Cara had tried to tell her that earlier. Yet, it also left so many holes and questions steaming in her head. Should Sarah forget about this, or should she question them about it? And what if they had not been talking about her? Sarah felt that each time she thought about it, the more likely it seemed that they _were_ talking about her.

* * *

The clearing was beautiful, the grass shimmering in the wind. Sarah's feet stood on the edge, her eyes closed as mist from the sky caressed her face each time the wind swept by. Her body had relaxed, yet it was also wary enough not to step into the clearing. She knew without a doubt that if she did, it would change things.

Her hands felt their way towards her satchel, reaching in and feeling around for her book. She didn't want to open her eyes, not just yet. If she did, she felt like she would lose the magical peacefulness that had just overcame her.

Words from her past drifted through her mind, reminding her of a more dramatic, romantic time in her life.

" _For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom as great_." She breathed as the words passed by her closed eyes.

The words still had the same affect on her. Bringing forth a sense of power and self-relying control. She had established herself as an equivalent to him. Putting herself in a position to stand up for herself. It was a freedom she hadn't often felt at home then. Perhaps that was why she had adapted so quickly to the magical realm. Everything she had wanted at that point in time had been granted to her through the labyrinth, even if she had not known the consequences for it.

As her hand closed around the side of a book, a gust of wind made the leaves rustle, and she slowly pulled the book out. Sarah opened her eyes slowly, not wanting to for fear that her thoughts would become less peaceful. She glanced down at the cover of the book, pushing away her nosy questions in her mind, and she read the title of the book. _The Secret Garden_.

"God, I used to love this book." She smiled, slowly shifting her satchel and sitting on the flat rock beside her.

She felt as if she had found her own secret little garden. Though, she would not enter the field -for the fear of hidden animals that used the field as a home, she told herself- she still had a secret little place. And by the looks of the fading trail, it seemed as if people rarely came around here anymore.

Her eyes settled on a page of the worn book. She had read this story so many times throughout her childhood. She had even acted it out a few times, running to the neighborhood park and pretending it was actually a secret garden. Her imagination would run wild.

Her mind practically sank into the book, no longer apart of reality. Books had always been the greatest way to escape.

The air around her thickened as the sky eventually dimmed. Evening was setting in as clouds slowly floated through the orange and pink colors of the sky. Though Sarah took no notice, her fingers sliding across the yellowed pages of the worn book.

The forest quieted, but still she took no notice. Her eyes running back and forth over the words. The wind died down, no longer as blowing her hair around in the breeze. She leaned forward to better see the words in front of her. The rain shifted indecisively between soft drizzles to pattering hard on the leaves above her. Yet, not a single drop landed on the pages of the book, therefore, Sarah did not notice.

Then, the rain stopped.

Absolute silence was finally enough for Sarah to tear her eyes from the pages of the book. Then, a branch snapped. The sharp sound alerting her. The air finally seemed to breathe, once again, the breeze pushed through the trees, causing the branches around her to sway. Snapping her eyes up, she braced herself, expecting to see a man standing before her. A shadow figure, a powerful ghastly demon, a creature or goblin; _something_. Her shoulders tensed in preparation as she quickly glanced upwards.

Nothing was there.

She sighed, releasing the tension in her body. Perhaps she was becoming too high-strung. This was supposed to be a vacation, and she was just as paranoid as she had been the day after she had defeated the Goblin King.

Shaking her head, she quickly placed the book back in her bag. As she stood up, she turned her back on the clearing, hoping to beat the sun that was quickly going down, and the rain that would likely come back soon.

She ignored the pulling of the field as it subconsciously tried to compel her towards it. Brushing off her clothes she took a step forwards, then stopped as alarms went off in her mind. Her breathing quickened, along with her pulse, she felt the skin at the back of her neck prickle, and the hairs on her arms stood like an enraged cat's tail. Just like the night _he_ had taken Toby away from her, her body always seemed to sense something was amiss before her mind did.

Sarah shifted unsurely on her feet, before pausing.

"Sarah."

She froze, every fiber of her being daring her to move, to run far away and never to return. Yet, even the instinct to fight or flight did not seem to be working, as she stayed rooted to the spot. She could _feel_ him behind her, and when she felt him slowly slide closer, then and only then could she open her mouth.

"Goblin King..."

* * *

 **Lylabeth 1: Yes, I did look up Jim Fitzpatrick! The artwork is simply beautiful and inspiring, no doubt about it! Also, with the castle I was hoping to make it sort of vague in the descriptions, enough to where someone could envision their own kind of castle, though I did look up several castles in Ireland just to make sure I was staying on track. Your reviews do help and I am ever so grateful! :)**

 **DarkEnigma322: Thank you! And I believe I just answered your burning question of how I'm bringing Jareth back in this chapter! Although, it's sort of a cliffhanger... Sorry. ;)**

 **Thank you guys for reading and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Things are going to start picking up a little bit more after this chapter. And some Sarah/Jareth interaction is always great, which I believe will be quite frequent starting in the next chapter.**

 **Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own the labyrinth.**

 **The poem below is "The Fairies" by William Allingham.**

 **Chapter 5 is up! Here's to a great 2016!**

 **I hope you guys enjoy! :)**

* * *

 _They stole little Bridget_

 _For seven years long;_

 _When she came down again_

 _Her friends were all gone._

 _They took her lightly back,_

 _Between the night and morrow,_

 _They thought that she was fast asleep,_

 _But she was dead with sorrow._

* * *

"I knew you were too intelligent just to be a simple owl…" Sarah scowled.

Sarah could feel him grin wickedly, though she did not face him. She was not ready to see him yet.

"I applaud your ignorance." Jareth tilted his head with a smile full of crooked teeth, "Because of your endearing words of gratitude, you owe me a favor in return."

Sarah slowly turned towards him. He was standing alone in the field, almost on the edge of the inner perimeter. His hair was pale, wild and had dark midnight blue streaks layered throughout. His face was sharply sculpted, his features almost too inhuman, yet human enough to be attractive. Her eyes held his for a few seconds, before she broke contact nervously. They were blue, but there was something off about them. Something... otherworldly. Something different from any other eyes she had seen before, and she supposed that must be the affect magic had on such an ethereal being.

His clothes put off an ominous air. Dark leathers, silks and metals. Ebony and cerulean goblin armor glinting as the sunset overhead slowly faded. His silky cloak swirled as the storm set overhead, yet no rain poured.

"I owe you nothing."

His eyes glinted dangerously at her words, his face suddenly becoming mischievous, as if he had been waiting for her to say that for a long time.

"Really?" He paused, looking up at the darkening sky with an amused smile, as if he was entertaining thoughts and memories that begged to differ -and having quite a lot of fun with it, too.

Sarah set her jaw in response.

Jareth placed a foot closer towards her, but did not pass the invisible line that marked the end of the clearing. For some reason this stood out to Sarah.

"It is severely rude to thank a fae, Sarah -Insulting, really." He continued.

"What do you want?" She snapped.

"Simple, come closer." He promptly replied.

Sarah eyed his feet, unwavering from her spot. He couldn't come to her, she realized. The Goblin King stayed in the clearing, but remembering her history with him, she knew him to be someone who did not mind bursting someone's personal bubble. He would have been all over her right now if he could, but he was not. He stayed in the clearing, trying to inch closer, but yet obeying some invisible boundary line. It was as if he could not leave the clearing at all.

"I'm not coming in that field." She shook her head. The irksome grimace the Goblin King gave in response to her defiance was not lost on Sarah. It answered her unspoken question.

She glanced up at his piercing blue eyes, opened her mouth and stated with pure surety, "You can't leave the field."

He raised an eyebrow as if he was amused by her words, yet Sarah could see the prevalent frustration at the truth in her words. He couldn't leave, and he hated it.

"Clever girl," He sneered.

They said nothing as he began pacing before the entrance to the forest, his eyes scrutinizing the ground as if it was a giant map stretched before him. Yet, he was never able to step foot out of the field near enough to touch Sarah. She stayed safely in the forest, standing by the rock that she had favored as a seat. The young woman watched quietly as the powerful being patrolled the inner perimeter of the field, seeming to test his limits and how close he could get to exiting the clearing.

"Why can't you?" Sarah inquired, curiously cocking her head to the side.

He paused in his insistent pacing, glancing up at Sarah with a wry smile. A grin that told her he knew the answer, but he wasn't going to share it.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

Sarah snorted, of course he would not answer such an innocent question. She decided to take a different approach.

"Why are you here?"

He indifferently waved off her question. Instead he studied the ground just where the field met the forest. His eyebrows furrowed. "Come here." He said, not removing his eyes from where they bored into the dead grass that marked the opening between the forest trees.

"No." Sarah crossed her arms.

Jareth made a sound in the back of his throat similar to a growl, but did not step closer, as he was already as close as he could get.

"Sarah," He warned, "I said, 'Come closer'."

"No." Her voice was more stern.

She would not risk any chance of safety. Jareth was a wild card, and at the moment, the only thing she knew about him was that he could not leave the field. There would be no telling of what would happen to her if she obeyed him and deserted her safe sanctuary for the mysterious clearing.

The king gave an aggravated sigh in response. He was impatient, but she would not give in. Sarah could see something in his eyes that sent shivers down her spine. They had not seen each other in years, and no doubt he was desperate to get his hands on her- and not in a good way. She knew he likely wanted revenge. His eyes clearly displayed emotions that told Sarah he had not forgotten her journey in the labyrinth, and the feelings were still as raw as the day afterwards, like a lingering pain after ripping off a band aid.

Whether it was anger or something else, Sarah did not know. And that was the danger with him.

"Goblin King," Sarah began. His eyes snapped up in attention at his title. "Why can't _you_ come here?" She asked.

Jareth seemed to ponder his response before he opened his thin lips. His sharp features warped mischievously, a flashing memory sparked before Sarah's eyes, showing her the similarities between this foreign being and the Cheshire Cat. As his smile slowly stretched, Sarah took a hesitant step back. Her innocent, wide eyes wary of the man before her.

"I would tell you," his accented, crisp voice began, " if you would _promise_ to come back tomorrow…"

The sky darkened completely, the rest of the sun faded behind the horizon. Suddenly, Sarah's skin felt considerably more cold than it had a second before. However, the girl did not ponder the darkening atmosphere. She did not think about the slight numbing in her arms as the wind blew freezing air over her. It hardly registered that her nose was stinging from the cold.

Instead, the word _promise_ circled around her mind. The warning burned into her skull. She remembered to never make promises with magical beings, and especially ones that could not mean well. Sarah was almost put off by his mischievous grin, yet, she _had_ come here in search of magic, hadn't she? Was this why she had returned to this clearing day after day?

There was something here that made it more than just a simple field, and Jareth knew the answer. Would it hurt to make a promise? It was a simple promise, too. All he asked was for her to come back. And, Sarah reasoned, she probably would have returned anyways in curiosity.

"Will you tell me _what_ this place is, too?" Sarah asked, trying to squeeze any additional information into the deal.

"Perhaps," Jareth crossed his arms with a smug grin. He looked ever so confident, already. As if he was so sure that she would give in.

The young woman, however, stood hesitantly. Her light green eyes studying the man before her.

She slowly opened her mouth to give him an answer…

* * *

The young woman dragged her wary body through the front doors of the gigantic hotel. Her eyes had tired bags underneath them, and she carried herself up the stairs at a sluggish pace. Sarah was barely aware of the gnawing hunger that was building in her stomach. Her mind was only on one thing: The Goblin King.

 _Dear God, what have I done?_ She shook her head.

Before Sarah could make it to her hotel room, an arm quickly grabbed hers with a fierce grip. Sarah became alert of her surroundings, as if she had just woken up in the morning. She was standing in the hallway, and Cara was holding onto her arm like it was her only lifeline.

"Wha-" Sarah gasped at the stern look in the woman's eyes.

"-What have you gotten into now, girl?" Cara demanded, shaking Sarah's arm at each syllable. Sarah did not like the tone in the older woman's voice; it reminded her of Mrs. Crow, her seventh grade Algebra teacher. The one that had called home complaining that Sarah 'daydreamed too much'. It had caused many problems later that night when Karen had agreed with her irksome teacher. Saying that Sarah indeed had her head 'up in the clouds' too much.

"Cara, what are you talking about?" Sarah frowned. Her stomach chose that splendid moment to let out a profuse growl.

"Good lord, child. When was the last time you have eaten?" The sternness melted from her eyes. revealing the concern that had led to the earlier frustration.

"This morning, I think."

"Come, come." Cara replied softly, like a mother to a child. Yet, the tightening of her hand let Sarah know there was no room for argument.

"Where are we going?"

"To get some food in your system," Cara replied, dragging Sarah into the older woman's room.

Sarah quietly noted the absence of Earl as she was told firmly to sit. The young girl looked around hesitantly, finding a soft, plush sofa near the center of the room. She noticed with slight jealousy that Cara's room was larger. It had a king sized bed and several chairs set around a coffee table. On the side of the room there was a connecting bathroom, along with a nightstand placed beside the wall that held a coffee maker.

Cara walked to the nightstand, grabbing a few sodium loaded snacks. Something that looked like Potato Chips and granola bars. The old woman tossed it to Sarah, who quickly caught it in the air, and she turned to heat up some water.

"What's going on?" Sarah asked as Cara made herself busy.

"Well," Cara began, "I'm feeding you, and then we're going to discuss some of your life choices."

When the older woman said nothing more, Sarah frowned. Was this a lecture? She had not had someone talk to her about life decisions since she had graduated from high school. The timing of this woman is impeccable, Sarah thought, as she already had a lot on her mind from just minutes before. In fact, she felt she deserved a break for a while. She had just came face to face with an old nemesis and had a conversation with him. Not only that, but he wasn't even human; a magical nemesis.

 _I deserve a vacation from my vacation_ , Sarah mused with a slight grin, but hid it as Cara turned away from the coffee maker with a hot cup of tea in her hands.

It stung as the steaming cup made contact with her skin, even more so since her fingers were freezing from the outside cold. But Sarah said nothing as Cara took a seat before her. Cara said nothing either, silently bringing the cup of tea to her wrinkled mouth and sipping it as she studied the younger woman's face.

"So," Sarah began as the old woman placed the half-empty cup on the table before her, "Why am I here?"

"Simple," Cara frankly replied, "To discuss why you smell of magic…"

* * *

 **Thank you guys for reading! Happy New Years everyone!**

 **kellyn1604: I have given you another chapter, now you know a little bit more about what happens! Thank you for your review! :)))**

 **TheRebelWillSurvive: You have no idea how hard I fangirled at _your_ review! No joke, it made my day to know that my writing could have that affect on someone. Seriously. :D**

 **LovelyAmberLight: Thank YOU for the review!**

 **DarkEnigma322: Haha, I gave a little bit of J/S interaction here. We shall see if there is more next chapter. ;)**

 **Feline Grace: Wait no longer, my friend! Here is more! :)**

 **So, lots of questions should be answered next chapter! From Cara and Jareth. I hope this slight interaction lived up to your expectations! Thank you guys for reviewing, each and every one brought a smile to my face and made my day! I sincerely appreciate it. :)**

 **Next chapter we will Sarah what Sarah said to Jareth, and perhaps why Jareth cannot leave the field. Until then, have a great day!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own the labyrinth.**

 **Enjoy this _really_ long chapter!**

* * *

"What do you mean, 'smell of magic'?" Sarah pulled back in her seat, a look of pure confusion showed on her face.

"You've been exposed to magic," Cara paused, "Well, even _more_ magic. You had already been exposed before."

"What do you mean 'before'?" Sarah paused, a dawning realization blossomed on her face. "The labyrinth." Sarah whispered.

Of course she hadn't escaped the labyrinth without consequence. No one goes through something like that without it affecting them the rest of their lives. And by the way Cara's eyebrows practically raised to the top of her forehead at Sarah's confession, she knew it too.

Sarah had always felt different in life after that life changing event.

She remembered walking into school for the first time after running the labyrinth. Teenage turmoil and drama suddenly seemed completely beneath her. Her eyes had witnessed an entire world that none of her young friends would believe, let alone even imagine. Sarah remembered her old best friend, Jessica, crying about some inconsequential event that left Sarah snorting with laughter. Her friend had been quite insulted when Sarah had said, 'Of all the things to be worried about, you're worried about _that_?'. Every little problem she had been worried about before had became time consuming to even think about. Not to say that she didn't show compassion towards her friend's worries, because she always reassured them that everything would turn out alright.

Yet, Sarah had an overwhelming need to at least share what she had experienced. She wanted to _talk_ about it to someone, but there was no one who would believe her if she told them about the wonders she had seen. So solitude became her best friend. Not that she wanted to be alone, but that she had decided it was for the best. The only way she could somehow share her adventure and the knowledge of another world was indirectly through stories to her little brother. But even his open mind had limits on what it would believe.

And this was why she had traveled to Ireland alone, because no one shared the love for magic like she did.

"The labyrinth?" Cara leaned back in her chair. Her face curious, yet fighting to look almost disinterested.

"Do you know about it?" Sarah asked, not wanting to reveal too much too soon about her history, lest she end up in a mental institution.

"I may have heard of it…" Cara paused, "I'm assuming this is where you had your first contact with magic?"

"So… You believe, then?"

"Yes, I believe, child."

"Then, yes. The labyrinth was where I first saw magic." Sarah relented.

It felt weird to finally admit that to someone. The labyrinth had been a secret of hers for years. Always holding her tongue, yet slip-ups would occur every now and then, causing an odd glance from an acquaintance or friend. Occasionally she would receive an offhand negative comment on these accidental slip-ups, reminding her that she could never expose the fact that the labyrinth had been real, and it had happened to her. Now, though, someone was actually sitting down and talking to her about it. Asking her about it.

And they believed - or so she hoped.

"Would you describe this 'labyrinth' for me?" Cara inquired, leaning forward curiously in her plush chair.

"Well, I don't know really how to describe it." Sarah frowned, "It had stone walls… lots of tricks and traps… and glitter?" She shrugged. "It was rather-"

"-Did you happen to solve this labyrinth?" Cara interrupted with a straight face, her words clipped.

Sarah was taken aback. Cara _did_ know about the labyrinth. Somehow, this odd woman before her had gained access to this hidden knowledge, and she believed it. What practically baffled Sarah's mind even more was that for the last few years she had been searching for magic, or someone that knew of it; the _real_ magic, and now she was face to face with someone who must have seen magic, as well. Out of all odds, Sarah had met Cara.

"Yes," she nodded, "yes, I did."

"Well," Cara whistled, the guarded expression on her face melted into wonder, "That certainly explains a lot."

"Wait - wait, you haven't answered any of my questions yet," Sarah began, "How do you know about the labyrinth?"

Cara let out a guffaw. Her laugh told Sarah that there was some hidden inside joke - or knowledge that made this question insanely absurd. Sarah shifted in her seat, refusing to feel shameful of her ignorance on the magical realms. Instead, she set her jaw and waited patiently for the older woman to cease her laughter.

"How do _I_ know the labyrinth?" Cara placed a pudgy had on her chest, "Dear child, there isn't a witch in the world that doesn't know about the labyrinth."

"You're a witch?" Sarah gasped.

Cara paused, thinking over her next few words and choosing them carefully, "Somewhat, yes." She nodded, satisfied with her own answer.

Sarah raised her thick eyebrows, shocked at this revelation. However, the more she thought about it, the more sense it made. In fact, she was actually relieved. Now she knew for sure that she was not alone in the world of magic. Cara must have felt even more isolated than she did, being forced to live in a world that did not believe, and yet she was living proof that magic existed.

"What do you mean, 'somewhat'?" Sarah asked, allowing some skepticism into her voice. She had learned that it was smart to ask questions as a teenager, and that words could always have a deeper meaning and be twisted. Those were life lessons that she had learned the hard way, but she was glad she did.

" _That_ is for another time," Cara began, standing from her seat and taking their abandoned tea cups to set aside for the maid.

"Oh, goodness." Sarah muttered to herself. She could never get a straight answer from anyone these days.

"Instead," Cara ignored Sarah's sudden grumpiness, "I want to focus on just how you came into contact with magic since the last time I saw you."

Sarah turned in her seat, facing the old woman that had her hands sternly placed on her hips. Her face reminded Sarah of a mother questioning a child that they suspected had stolen cookies from a cookie jar. Sarah had to hold back an amused smirk at that thought.

"It's kind of too long of a story to answer now…" Sarah began hesitantly.

Though she had been excited that she was not alone in a magicless world, she still was wary of revealing her entire past with someone who was a little more than a stranger. She had already tried _that_ before, and she had learned that strangers could be just as judgmental as her closest friends. There was no way that she was going to open up about it anytime soon -at least not tonight- and especially if Cara was not going to share anything, either.

Cara studied Sarah's face as it slowly fell into a guarded mask. She could tell the girl would not answer her, not yet. She had to gain the girl's trust first. It would just be a little while longer, and she still had many things she needed to show the girl, regardless. Though she had only known the girl for a little under a week, she felt a fondness towards her. Cara sincerely hoped she didn't end up like the last one.

"No matter," Cara waved Sarah off, "Eat."

Sarah shrugged to herself and grabbed the bag of chips she had left on the coffee table before her. Opening it with a bit of struggle and then silently munching on the empty calories. She had to admit that this was certainly one of the oddest situations she has found herself in since the labyrinth -and since thirty minutes ago… But she couldn't protest, she had wanted to find magic, anyways, hadn't she?

"We can discuss more after your training," Cara began.

"Training?" Sarah frowned.

"Yes, you've been exposed quite a lot to magic. I'm assuming your open mind has helped quite a lot in absorbing it, as well." The old woman took a few steps closer, scrutinizing Sarah with wonder. "The girl who beat the labyrinth…" She shook her head, "That is quite an accomplishment. I don't think anyone has ever been able to do that."

"You believe me?" Sarah asked, bewildered at how fast the old woman had trusted her word when most of the world would lock her up.

"Of course I do," Cara scowled, "It's hard not to when I can feel its magic all over you. Child, you would not have picked up _that_ much magic just by simply being there. No, the amount that resonates off of you could only be earned."

"So, what am I? A walking magic air freshener?" Sarah said lightly, but Cara did not seem to catch the joke.

"No, I noticed you were different when I first met you. I figured you had _witnessed_ some things, but I did not pick up on your scent of magic until you mentioned that you were searching for it. That's when I realized that you hadn't just _witnessed_ , you had _experienced_." Cara paused, sitting down in the chair directly in front of Sarah. She continued to look at Sarah as if she was a piece of a puzzle, something to be solved. Sarah didn't quite care, as long as she got answers to her questions for once. "It wasn't until a few minutes ago when I noticed that you had much more magic in you than I thought. It was as if something happened to you that had reawakened it…"

Sarah shifted in her seat, "Um." She began, but Cara held up a finger to silence her.

"In fact, I can feel someone else's magic on you…" Cara closed her eyes, silently focusing on some invisible force that Sarah could not sense for the life of her. The old woman's finger remained up in the air, forgotten, as she seemed to search for something in her mind. "Yes, whoever it is, they have quite a lot of power. But what I don't get," Cara opened her eyes, suddenly looking cautious of Sarah, as if Sarah had just found out she had an incurable disease. "What I don't get is how you are carrying their magic. It feels like you're holding a blanket of them _over you_. Almost like an enchantment..."

 _Over you_ , the words rang in Sarah's head.

You have no power _over me_.

"Oh crap." Sarah gasped. That - that glittery... fairy _cad_!

 _Handsome glittery, fairy cad._ Her mind reminded her.

Oh, he's done it now, Sarah thought. She was boiling with with a mixture of anger and mortification. The anger directed at him, and the embarrassment at herself. She could not believe she had fallen into his trap so easily. Had she not learned the dangers of words? _He_ took them seriously, Sarah recalled from memory. Hadn't the Goblin King been the one to tell her 'What's said is said', and that not meaning things was no excuse? Wise words from such a dangerous source. Sarah knew that she had made her deal with the devil, and it was too late to back out now.

"What?" Cara leaned forward, her brows knitted with concern.

Sarah let out a controlled sigh, trying to calm herself before she did something stupid. Like marching back to that field and wringing a King's neck. "I may have made a promise…" She began, "...To a fae." She squeezed her eyes shut as she uttered the words. Saying them out loud was even more harsh than simply just thinking them.

"Oh dear." Cara said. It was a simple phrase, but it captured everything Sarah felt in its tone.

Oh dear, indeed.

The old woman let out a drawn out sigh, shaking her head with pity. Cara knew that a promise to a fae was nothing to be taken lightly, and she only hoped this young, innocent girl before her knew how to properly defend herself.

After a moment of silence, letting her former words hang in the air till the ringing of disappointment and pity wore off, Cara made sure to hold Sarah's gaze as she stated the words that could possibly change Sarah's life forever:

"We will begin your training in magic tomorrow."

* * *

Tomorrow, Sarah thought.

Now lying in bed in her dark hotel room, Sarah allowed herself to think about the day to come.

Tomorrow.

That seemed to be the only word her mind could come up with. It was as if her brain was holding its breath, and the only thing that would release it was the word 'tomorrow'. So much was going to change, and Sarah was not sure how ready she was for change. Everything depended on the word that circled in her mind.

Tomorrow.

She just hoped that no matter what, everything would turn out okay. The young woman squeezed her eyes shut, wishing with all her heart that the Goblin King had not returned for revenge.

Yet, what else would he be here for? He had seemed so vexed. His eyes had bored into hers as if she had antagonized him to the very last straw. The crisp accent his voice held so musically, was filled with exasperation. Whether it was at her, or the situation, she did not know.

She did know, however, that he could not leave the field. Sarah at least took some comfort in that fact, and hoped that it would be the same tomorrow. She would not enter that field under any circumstance. If the Goblin King was so desperate for her to, then she knew it wasn't a smart idea. Though her heart skipped a beat at the thought that he could somehow find a way around that magical barrier -that boundary line- that kept him from leaving the field. That would make all of her escape plans invalid. If he did, and she returned tomorrow, Sarah did not know what she would do. How could she, a mere mortal, run from such a powerful being?

* * *

She would wear a scarf, she decided.

It was going to be colder today, and, Sarah thought as she tentatively placed a finger on her chin, one never knew when they would need a scarf for extra protection. Her reasoning figured that if she knew how to wield it right, the thin cloth of the scarf could become quick a powerful weapon, or perhaps just handy for self defense. It did not matter, she shrugged and reached for the soft material in her suitcase, as the temperature lowered every second and there was no doubt that she would need it anyways.

Pulling on warm, thick boots to protect her feet from the chilling air outside, Sarah then equipped herself with her satchel and a red fleece jacket. She snatched up her wallet, planning to buy a quick breakfast to go, and headed out the ornate wooden doors of her hotel room.

Sarah bought a small pastry and coffee at the cafe downstairs. Simply handing the man at the counter the money that was due without a word. The woman tapped her foot and shifted her posture as she waited. Her hands in her pockets as she sighed, not with impatience, but with anxiety at what the day would bring. The man at the counter said nothing, giving her an odd look, but turning without comment to hand her the food she had ordered. She gave the man a small smile to let him know she was fine and retreated to eat her breakfast. No one gave a second glance as the young woman avoided her favorite seat by the window. Instead of sitting, she gave a cheerful wave to the servers and practically downed her drink and shoved the meal into her mouth, finishing it in one bite before she made it to the castle doors. If anyone had noticed her oddly restless and antsy persona, they shrugged it off as being simple excitement. No doubt the young woman was going to explore more of what the land of Ireland had to offer.

"Okay," Sarah murmured to herself, "I can do this…" Her fingers clenched into a fist as she whispered words of encouragement to herself.

"I can _so_ do this."

The cool morning air stung her nose, turning her cheeks a bright pink. She pulled her long, chocolate locks over to guard her neck and ears from the frosty wind. As she walked further into the forest, her anxiety churned her stomach until she forcibly stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jacket, flexing her fingers and trying to focus on how cold they were instead of the situation she was no longer walking blindly into.

Brittle leaves crushed with a satisfying sound underneath Sarah's boots. She was now deep enough in the forest to where the wind could hardly reach her between the tall trees. By this point, Sarah no longer needed to think about where she was going. She remembered it well, as if her brain was so used to the route she was taking it hardly needed to work itself. It felt as if she was being led by a string, simply not having to think about where she stepped, just walking without thought.

Though she wanted to think, to concentrate on _something_ other than the man -no _being_ \- she was about to come face to face with. It had been years since she had seen him, and yet he chooses now to show up? Perhaps, Sarah pondered, it had something to do with location. Maybe he was never able to show up before now, and somehow he was now able to see her. That didn't quite make sense in Sarah's mind. Why wouldn't he be able to see her? It had certainly been easy for him to burst through her parent's balcony doors and steal her brother away. However, that was when she had made a wish. She had summoned him.

But this time she hadn't.

So what gives? Why now? She asked herself. Shaking her head thoughtfully, Sarah froze when she realized where she was. Her feet had brought her just before the clearing, and she noticed with slight relief that it was empty. Yet, she frowned, she had agreed to meet him here, hadn't she? Perhaps she had just missed him? Or maybe she was early?

Sighing, Sarah relented and sat on the smooth rock that was placed beside her. Her nimble fingers searched the pockets of her satchel for a book as she waited patiently for her 'visitor' to arrive. She pulled out a small book with an elaborate design on the cover. Cracking it open, Sarah tried to calm herself enough to fully invest in the story.

"I see you still have your nose in a book."

Sarah peeked up, glancing over at the fae who stood at the edge of the field, arms crossed and smirking at her. He was the poster child for arrogance, Sarah mused silently.

"Books were always my way of escaping," She shrugged defensively.

She quickly glanced over him, not allowing her eyes to linger too long to be uncomfortable -for her, no doubt he would not mind if she stared- but long enough to note what the Goblin King was wearing.

He had dressed appropriately for the chilly day it was. Wearing a long, silky cloak over dark, thick clothes. His usual gloves and boots covering the remaining skin. He seemed cozy, yet, graceful. Not too much clothes to where he would look like a waddling duck. At this thought, Sarah wondered if he got the weather channel back in the Underground.

"So I've noticed." Jareth smugly replied.

Sarah frowned at the implying tone in his voice. Had he been -no, he couldn't be watching her. How would he be able to, after all? A magical mirror, or something? Now was not the time, if she focused on that she would become sidetracked from why she really came here.

Sarah stood, now meeting the King's eye contact. She was careful not to pass over into the field, for whatever reason, she knew that it would be bad news.

"You promised me answers."

Sarah set her jaw, trying to tell him with her body language that there was no way she would let him go back on his word. Not that he could, anyways.

"So I did," the corners of his mouth slightly turned upwards in amusement, "And since you've upheld your end of the promise, I suppose I owe you answers."

He crossed his arms, waiting for the woman before him. His eyes slowly traced her form, studying the differences in her since her run through his labyrinth. Sarah, however, tried her best to ignore his eyes, pondering on which questions she should ask him first.

Choose your words wisely, she reminded herself.

"Why can't you leave the field?" Sarah tentatively asked.

"Who says I can't?" Jareth countered, narrowing his eyes.

It was obvious this fae before her did not like to show signs of weakness. However, Sarah would not let him answer her questions this way; she had spent all night and all morning so worried about this encounter with him, that there was not a chance that he could keep his pride and avoid her questions.

"Okay, so you can as an owl, I've noticed that," Sarah specified, "But in this form you can't leave the field. What stops you?"

Jareth tilted his head to the side, studying the way Sarah's eyes bore into his defiantly. He decided, in that moment, that he quite enjoyed the way she challenged him. In fact, he was oddly pleased at the way she stood up for herself, the way she was so determined to get what she wanted.

"You remember those last little _words_ you spoke to me?" Jareth began with a hint of animosity at the memory, " _That_ is what keeps me from coming closer to you."

"I don't understand…"

"I cannot leave the field, because I cannot step foot near you. Hence why I have not come to visit you since your victory in the labyrinth." He spit the last words out, obviously he was still a little angry over that.

"But why can you appear in the field?" Sarah asked, not quite understanding what he was telling her.

"Have you heard the term 'Fairy Ring', Sarah?"

She shook her head.

"I am standing inside one, and that is the reason why I am finally allowed to appear before you." the King motioned to the field around him, "Your victory words made me lose all control over you, in fact, _banning_ me from stepping near you." He crinkled his nose in distaste. "But this Ring allows me to once again grace you with my presence."

Sarah refrained from rolling her eyes. "So, this 'Fairy Ring' is sort of a loophole, or something? You can't step out of it because you're not allowed near me, but… -what, does it contain some type of magic that can let you appear?" Sarah asked.

"Think of it as a portal of sorts," Jareth began, "My kind have been using this one for years, so strong magic lingers."

"Have you used this one before?" Sarah asked with curiosity.

Jareth gave Sarah such a wicked smile, she could only describe it as sinful.

"A few times…"

Sarah paled at this statement. God knows what he meant by that, but from his smile, he clearly did not have good intentions. He's probably used it to steal children away, Sarah thought. Then she forcefully shoved that thought away. She was not going to think about that right now.

A gust of wind pushed itself through the field towards Sarah and the fae. Jareth's hair, as if it was possible, grew wilder than before. Sarah shivered as the frosty air invaded her jacket, making the hairs on her arms stand up from the chill. Sarah suddenly felt a thousand miles away from being safe.

"So, if I was to run far away from this Fairy Ring, you wouldn't be able to follow me?"

"Perhaps," Jareth narrowed his eyes at her, "...Until you would stumble across another. This land is riddled with them. And it wouldn't be wise to anger someone like me, Sarah." He stated slowly, an unspoken threat hidden under his words.

Her eyes widened at his words. Jareth was so far from the fairies she had learned about as a child. They had called Tinkerbell 'mischievous', but they were far from it. Jareth reminded her much more of a version of Rumpelstiltskin than a fairy tale fairy. However, she knew from experience that Disney's fairies were far from the real thing. Real fairies bite.

Jareth had watched as Sarah eyes had widened, though she had tried to cover it up, he knew that she was alarmed at his warning. But it was just that, a warning. He didn't want her to leave, if she did he did not know when he would be able to see her next, if ever. He wanted her to stay.

"Sarah," his eyes softened, "I would never hurt you."

"You stole my brother," she stated as a matter of fact.

"You asked that I take him," Jareth retorted.

"You made my friend betray me with a drugged peach."

"I gave you a glimpse of your _dreams_ , Sarah." Jareth implored.

My dreams, Sarah thought. The ballroom had been her dreams? It made sense, yet, it must have been a simple distraction. That's all it could have been, nothing more, she convinced herself.

"It was to make me forget about Toby," Sarah said, though her voice was weaker than she would have wanted it.

"It was my way of showing you what you wanted." Jareth took a step closer, but did not leave the field.

Sarah was silent.

"And you enjoyed it, didn't you?" Jareth said. "You enjoyed my _gift_."

"It was okay," Sarah shrugged.

He raised an eyebrow.

"I also enjoyed the cleaners, and the fireys and humongous… Oh, and I quite enjoyed chasing my brother through a room full of stairs." Sarah retorted sarcastically.

Jareth was silent for a few seconds, and Sarah began to worry that she had gone too far. Although, there was not much he could do to her at the moment, and she doubted that he would ever physically hurt her himself. But the wicked grin that spread across his face slowly and the way his eyes gleamed with some mischievous delight, Sarah could tell that she had said something wrong.

"But you _did_ enjoy your run through my labyrinth, Sarah." Jareth said, his voice lowering dangerously.

She frowned.

"You did enjoy all those tests I threw at you." He took a step closer, standing as close as he could get without crossing the invisible boundary line. "You enjoyed being the hero…"

Sarah opened her mouth to protest.

"-You enjoyed _me_ being the villain." Jareth's whisper carried through the wind and slipped through Sarah's ears.

"That's not-" Sarah shook her head, "No." She disagreed.

"Admit it, Sarah. You _wanted_ me to be the villain. You wanted a powerful opponent… One that would tempt you…"

Sarah swallowed.

"One that is so strong, and yet he ends up on his knees before you." He finished with a knowing glint in his eyes.

Sarah thought about what to say. She couldn't quite give in and say that he was right. Those things had been the last things on her mind during her run through the labyrinth. Sure, she did wonder if she would have felt disappointed if the challenge was so simple and easy to get her brother back. But not for the same reasons he thought.

She felt that the only way to correct the sin that she had made was to work for it. Running the labyrinth in under thirteen hours had been her payment -her consequence- and she had worked hard to save her brother. If the labyrinth had been no challenge -no traps or tricks- she certainly would have felt somewhat disappointed in the ease it would take to get her brother. And, she admitted, she probably would not have learned her lesson.

Sarah set her jaw defiantly. "Of course I wanted you on your knees before me..." She grinned as she thought of her next, mocking words, "You were the villain, and I put you in your rightful place."

There, she thought, deal with that.

Jareth sneered, opening his mouth and preparing some sort of comeback. However, Sarah was not going to hear it. Time was ticking, and she was going to be late. She had not expected their conversation to go on this long.

"I have to go now," She quickly said.

His face became a mask of pure indifference. "And why is that?"

"I've got somewhere I have to be… but," Sarah paused, was she really going to do this? Did she really want to open this can of worms? "We could finish this conversation some other time…" She tried to keep from frowning at herself, angry at how her statement sounded more like a question.

Jareth raised an eyebrow, but he refrained from saying anything that would mock the girl. He did want her to come back after all.

"It's just," Sarah quickly elaborated, "I've still got more questions and stuff…"

Jareth took a step back, distancing himself. He nodded at her and fixed his smooth gloves back into place, though they did not look like they needed any adjusting to Sarah. "Very well," Jareth said, "I too have somewhere to be."

He looked up at her, "Farewell, Sarah."

She waved, not sure whether to call him by his name or his title. Feeling that she did not want to get too personal to call him by his name. It was best just to keep this professional. She turned to face the forest again, not wanting to glance back at the king she was leaving behind.

Estimating the time it took to arrive here, she would no doubt be late to her meeting with Cara. They had agreed that they would meet up around noon to begin training. And though Sarah only had a couple of weeks left in Ireland, she figured she needed to at least figure out a little bit more on the powers that she supposedly had. However, she was still quite confused as to how she had received powers from running the labyrinth.

With this thought, Sarah quickly spun around on her heels, mouth open and ready to ask the King in the field behind her. But when she turned around, the clearing was revealed to be empty. Jareth had disappeared back to his land.

Sarah shrugged, not sure why she had believed he would still be there, and she turned to once again make her way back to the hotel. She had magic lessons to worry about.

* * *

 **Happy birthday to David Bowie and to Elvis Presley! You sexy beasts you.**

 **O.o**

 **If anyone else has birthdays today, happy birthday to you, as well!**

 **Reviews:**

 **Indigomoon44: Thank you! I'm glad that you enjoy my stories! I really enjoy writing them, it's the best hobby I've had yet. :) I hope you love this chapter.**

 **kellyn1604: :D I believe all your questions should mostly be answered in this chapter. Thank you for your review!**

 **LovelyAmberLight: Oh my goodness, thank you! *sniff* You called my story a gem... *wipes happy tear* Your waiting is over, here's another chapter! And it's extra long, thanks to my friend who reads over them. She convinced me to put a Jareth and Sarah interaction in this chapter instead of waiting for the next one. And I had to make up for the last couple chapters that were very short.**

 **Wild-is-good: It's not going to be a very dark Jareth story, just to reassure you. Although, Jareth does have a darker side, there is going to be plenty of fluff in the other chapters... ;) It's not going to be a twisted love story; my Sarah is going to have a backbone. Thank you for your review and thanks for reading!**

 **TheRebelWillSurvive: Awe, I'm glad I made your day. :)) Your review makes my day, lol. Thank you.**

 **tonemara: Muahahaha, just kidding - here is the next chapter. ;)**

 **Lylabeth 1: Thank you! Yes, his artwork was definitely great. I always run across 'Fae' more often than 'sidhe' for some reason. But if you google sidhe, tons of results pop up as well. I really like your explanation for Jareth. I've always felt that he looked so lonely, too. Lonely and bored. The way he just sits on his throne and glancing at the clock. It's pretty depressing if you think about it. Thank you for reading and thank you for another review! :)**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I also want to thank those that followed/favorited. I do a happy dance each time I get a notification. It makes me smile when I see that people enjoy reading my story. :) Have a great weekend!**


	7. Chapter 7

"You're doing good."

"No," Sarah sighed, shaking her head, "No, I'm not."

She was not sure how fast it took for one to learn magic. Though she had been at it for an hour, she still felt as if most would have grasped _some_ of it by now.

Cara had been patient, excusing her for being tardy and pulling Sarah into the hotel room for her 'lessons'. She had only made one slight remark about the increasing amount of magic that was pulsating around Sarah. Yesterday, Cara had regarded her magical 'blanket' with caution, but today she seemed to have a spark of excitement in her eyes as she dragged Sarah to a single chair by the wrist.

And so Sarah sat, frustrated at her lack of skill, in a small, cramped chair that was placed by the window. Sitting on the windowsill was a red flower pot with a beautiful Amaryllis standing with it's petals proudly spread out wide. However, the fact that the flower was still standing so peacefully and ignorant to the situation irked Sarah to no end.

"Come on, try again. Try to give it a little shove…" Cara encouraged.

Sarah closed her eyes, trying to find that magical space in her mind that she had never been able to access her entire life. She searched and searched, but was still unable to find it. How could she know what she was supposed to look for if she didn't know what it looked like?

Within another few silent minutes Sarah sighed once again, opening her eyes and shaking her head. "I can't…" She said. Her voice wavered with hopelessness. Maybe she did not actually have the ability to harness magic? Wouldn't that be a let down? Was it possible that the only reason she 'smelled' of magic was only because of her exposure to it, and not that she carried it?

"Yes you can," the older woman bent down, her beady eyes at the same level as Sarah's. "You beat the labyrinth." Cara stated with pure certainty. Not a trace of doubt was laced in the woman's voice, nor did her eyes reveal anything except complete confidence in the younger woman.

"Yeah, but I didn't need magic to do that." Sarah pointed out.

"Don't give up so soon!" Cara lectured with a disappointed frown.

Sarah found that she could not argue with the older woman's expression. It made her feel a little ashamed. She had such hope in her and they had hardly knew each other for more than a week. Perhaps… she could try harder. Maybe she was not giving her all. Perhaps she was making this harder than it was supposed to be?

She shook her head and leaned forward in her chair, closing her eyes once more to begin again. Breathing in deeply, forcing herself to control her body. Sarah calmed her mind. This time she felt an odd urge. As if her body knew exactly what to do and was trying to take control. Something clicked in her mind, and Sarah had no choice but to give in to the compelling force and let it lead her. Unconsciously, her hand raised towards the innocent pot of flowers and Cara secretly allowed herself a knowing and smug smirk. However, the smirk was wiped clean off the older woman's face as the pot of flowers toppled off the windowsill with a dive and quickly plummeted to the floor. She had not expected the girl to show her potential so soon.

Sarah, on the other hand, practically jumped six feet in the air. The red vase met the wooden floor of the hotel room with a loud, ear-splitting shatter, breaking into many pieces at their feet.

"Oh," Sarah said after a moment of shocked silence. She had wanted to _move_ the flower pot, but she hadn't expected to force it clear off the windowsill.

Cara held her frail, wrinkled hand across her chest, willing her heart to settle after her small fright. "You must learn control." She stated with a harsh breath.

"But I moved it," Sarah defended herself. She felt she deserved a _little_ bit a praise, did she not? She had accomplished something that no ordinary human could do, after all.

"Yes, but you moved it with _too much_ power. You must learn to restrain yourself."

"How can I restrain myself if it took _that_ much power for me to even make it move at all?" Sarah frowned. "I'm still learning, you know."

"And I am teaching." Cara replied.

Sarah sighed with irritation.

"Perhaps," Cara bent down and began to clean up the broken pieces, "We should continue at a later time. It is getting late and you need your rest between lessons. Especially…" She paused, then only shook her head as if she was a disappointed mother who had caught their teenage child in some wild act.

"Especially, what?" Sarah said and waited for Cara to face her.

The old woman's shoulders slumped, and she abandoned the idea of cleaning up the mess for a more important problem that needed to be solved. "Especially," she began again, "If you are going to continue to meet that fae man in the forest…"

Sarah froze. How did Cara know that she had planned on continuing to meet with the Goblin King? Had she been spying on her? Had she followed Sarah to their location in the forest?

"How-"

"I can see the magic," Cara interrupted, holding a hand up to silence Sarah. The old woman's gaudy, dark-orange ring reflected the sunlight from the window, causing Sarah to squint at the old woman through the stinging sun. Cara lowered her hand, thoughtfully noting Sarah's discomfort.

Sarah rubbed her eyes.

Just how powerful was Cara? She could _see_ the magic that she had been exposed to? Did Cara know that Sarah was making promises with a fae - a King, out of all things. Sarah tried not to cringe at how stupid the idea seemed. She knew she should stay far away from the Goblin King, but would it hurt to spend a little time with him? He could answer all of her questions. He could possibly grant her closure so she could move on with her life.

"Could you elaborate?" She asked.

"The magic around you is stronger, and I can clearly see that you are building ties with one of the fae…" Cara stood to her full height, which was not much more tall than Sarah's would have been, if she had been standing. "Now, while it is dangerous to associate with the fae, it could also be… _beneficial_ to have one on your side." The old woman's lips quirked.

Sarah frowned. Was Cara implying she should use Jareth to her benefit? Taking all he could give her and possibly more? She was not the sort of person - at least, that's what she would like to believe - that could just pretend to care to personally gain an advantage from someone. Her mother had been like that, and Sarah knew that she _never_ wanted to be that kind of person.

"I suggest you rest for the night," Cara continued, patting Sarah on the shoulder affectionately. "You've got a long week ahead of you." Whether she saw Sarah's frown deepen, or not, she smiled as if all was well in the world.

While Cara could have been speaking about her future lessons in magic, Sarah could not help but wonder if the older woman was also factoring in the meeting she had with Jareth. She wondered this as she walked down the hall back to her room, and she knew that she needed to question Cara more seriously at the next lesson.

As she lay in bed that night, Sarah also knew that she needed to ask Jareth more questions, as well. At that thought, Sarah sprang out of the bed. Pillows and layers of heavy blankets practically followed, flowing off of the bed with her and spilling onto the floor as she hurried to her suitcase. Sarah unzipped the bag with a panicked, urgent need, desperate not to let the overflowing amount of questions and thoughts slip from her mind before she had a chance to write them down. The sharp sound of the zipper broke the quietness of the cool night. No one else was awake by this point, except Sarah.

Sarah pulled a notebook out from the suitcase, flicking through the pages till she found a blank one. Taking a black, inky pen from the nightstand, she began to write down in sloppy, loopy cursive, each and every question she had for Jareth.

She ignored the fact that she had finally allowed herself to think his name.

* * *

"Sarah."

Green eyes locked with blue ones from a distance. "Goblin King," she acknowledged.

Once again, he stood as close as possible to the boundary line of the Fairy Ring. It seemed he had given up on testing his limits to how close he could get to her, and Sarah was no longer wary of distance, either. She could stand close, she could talk to him and she could maybe even touch him if she had wanted to. However, the last thing she could do was step into the Fairy Ring. For some reason, she knew that would end badly for her. If she chose just to simply take a few more steps and enter into the clearing, she would be completely in his mercy, and that was the last thing she needed to do.

"You should call me Jareth," he raised an eyebrow at her carefully chosen words, "As I have already called you by your first name."

"No, I'd rather not." Sarah shook her head, "It seems too personal."

"And are we not already... _personal_ , Sarah?" A wicked grin flashed across his thin lips, revealing a row of sharp, crooked teeth.

She did not trust that smile. Leave it to him to imply more into her innocent sentence.

She gave him a pointed look that said clearly ' _Don't push it_ ', and she reached into the satchel that she had once again equipped on herself. He bemusedly appraised the yellow, crinkled paper Sarah pulled out of her bag. And she missed the softening of his usually devious eyes as she pushed a strand of hair out of her face and tried - with no avail - to rid the paper of it's wrinkles.

Sarah sighed and gave up on straightening out the list, instead she shrugged and walked clear up to Jareth, plopping herself down in front of his feet. Though, she was still cautious enough not to let a single part of herself enter the field. The Goblin King was curious as to what the girl was doing, for she always seemed to throw him off balance just when he had thought he had figured her out. It was what had drawn him to her in the beginning, and it was still quite appealing now.

Feeling slightly awkward, yet never one to show it, the fae king lowered himself with graceful ease onto the grass in front of the mortal girl. If one were to stumble upon them, he mused, they would be mistaken as lovers. And oh, how she would compliment him.

"I wrote a list," Sarah said finally, breaking Jareth out of his reverie.

"So you did…" He smirked at the numerous amount of questions that she had penned down, in what a appeared to be hastily written handwriting. As if it had been a quick note that star-crossed lovers had jotted down emotionally, and as hurriedly as possible, just to get the letter to their forbidden loved one. She must have done a lot of thinking the previous night.

"How about," Sarah paused for a second, thinking about the best way to get an honest question out of him, "we take turns? I'll ask you something and then you ask me something?"

Jareth nodded his approval, motioning her to begin with a gloved hand.

She opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again. In a hesitant voice she asked, "Why?" Shaking her head, she tried again, "Why did you appear to me? I get that I ran the labyrinth and won my brother back, but… Why do you still want to see me?"

Jareth pondered over the best way to answer this question, and Sarah waited patiently. It was a loaded question, she knew, and she doubted he would give her an answer that would explain everything. However, did he even know why himself?

"Sarah, you…" he trailed off, and she waited just a few seconds longer for him to continue. "You have occupied a space in me that no one has filled in a long time."

And Sarah wondered what he meant by a long time. He was fae, after all, didn't he have all the time in the world? A day must pass quicker than the speed of light for him, and yet he said long time. When he did not elaborate further, she assumed that was all he was going to reveal at this moment. She adjusted her legs, wishing she had worn more comfortable pants, and nervously tried to flatten out the folded creases in her list before her. "It's your turn to ask…" She muttered after a few seconds? Minutes, maybe?

"You will - I want," Jareth grunted, giving Sarah an impatient look, and started his question again. "Will you accept me as a trainer - of sorts - for your magic?"

"What?"

That was clearly the last thing she had expected him to ask her. She had expected something flirty, or seductive, or maybe a question that would give him a little insight on her train of thoughts as she had ran the labyrinth. But to aid in her magic lessons? How did he even…?

"You've been spying on me!" She accused.

"That's not a question, Sarah." He stated with an arrogant smile and a sparkle in his eyes.

"Fine, _have_ you been spying on me?"

"Yes." Jareth crossed his arms.

Sarah's mouth popped open, like a gaping fish, and she struggled to regain her dignity. Did he have no shame? "How long?"

"I believe it is my turn to ask a question, and you did not answer my previous one."

"No," she answered quickly, then, "Ask your question" An impatient tone carried her voice.

"How safe do you believe it is to practice magic with a witch?" Jareth drawled, looking up to the sky with a deep in thought gaze. "I wonder, if you were offered a much more safer and knowledgeable tutor, one that was more... _experienced_ , would you accept?"

"You're getting on my nerves." Sarah said.

"Answer the question." His eyes snapped to hers, sobering, "That witch could teach you _nothing_ compared to what I could show you. Her magic will not ever match up to your true potential. I can feel it when you use your powers, Sarah. My very labyrinth senses it." He leaned in closer, " _I_ understand what you are capable of more than she could ever imagine to."

Sarah gulped. It sounded as if he was almost jealous of Cara. But she doubted it. Perhaps his pride was on the line for this. Rejecting him to tutor her in magic would practically be an insult considering he was the most powerful being she knew. He was the ruler of the labyrinth, after all. He should understand her powers better than any other.

"Do not turn this offer down because of your stubborn nature."

"I'll agree on one condition," Sarah smoothed out her jeans, the list forgotten and abandoned beside her, "You tell me why you've been spying on me."

"Deal," Jareth leaned back, his face no longer as serious and chilling as if had been seconds before. Once again, his eyes shined with amusement, as if they were chanting _I know something you don't_ , and he wore a proud smirk as a mask. "I have been spying - as you so kindly put it - because as the owner of the labyrinth, I have a right to know what the champion is doing at all times."

"What?" Sarah barked, "What kind of answer is that?" She flung her arms out exasperatedly.

"It is an answer, just simply not the one you wanted." Jareth stood.

Sarah followed, forgetting the list on the ground. She sent the Goblin King a cold glare, and he ignored it. He had thrown subjects into dungeons for far less than that, yet, it hardly irked him when she did it. What was the reason? He supposed it was not that he didn't care how she felt, but perhaps the complete opposite. Which was quite odd, since he had never bothered with anyone else's feelings before.

"Oh, come now, Sarah." He chided, "It is not as if I have watched you at _indecent_ times." He tried not to chuckle at the rush of red that flowed to the young woman's cheeks. "I have simply ensured your safety."

"Yeah, right." Sarah rolled her eyes, grabbing her satchel and preparing to depart from the infuriating monarch that stood before her.

"And Sarah," he said as she turned, his voice became serious once again, "Do not forget, you may attend a few 'lessons' with this _witch_ ," he drawled the word with obvious distaste, and Sarah wondered why he held such animosity for Cara, "but you will look to _me_ as your leading teacher." He finished.

The demand rang heavily in Sarah's mind, and irritation at his boldness sparked up in Sarah. Who was he to tell her who should give her lessons? _A magical being_ , her brain reminded her. And she had to relent at that thought. Cara was a human, a human witch, but still a human. Jareth... Well, he was the king of the Goblins, and he was fae. If anyone was qualified to train her, it would most assuredly be him. Though he could be less arrogant and controlling about it, but she supposed that was just the way he was. Maybe, just maybe this was his way of looking out for her. Maybe this was his way of getting to know her better.

Sarah pulled her lips tight into a thin line, refusing to allow that train of thought to make her smile. She still did not know if she could trust him, especially since he had admitted to spying on her - albeit, for her safety he had said- but, still. Could she trust him? _Not yet_ , the words rang in her head. It was too soon to tell. And with that last conclusion, Sarah glanced back at him and gave him a curt nod, waved, and then continued on her way back to the trail.

She was starting to memorize this forest better than the layout of her childhood home.

* * *

He waited.

The King waited till the woman was no longer in his line of sight. For it would do no good to alert her that _it_ was still there. Left behind in her discomfort and haste.

Without a second thought, no slight hesitation or heavy cost of energy, the Goblin King willed the tiny, crumpled piece of paper to himself. The wind picked it up with ease, carrying it to the patiently awaiting king. A gloved hand reached out and plucked it out from the air. With gracefulness and elegance that must have taken centuries to practice, the king shook the paper - only once - and all of the wrinkles vanished as if they had never existed. As if the paper had not been crammed without second thought into pockets, or shoved to the bottom of a satchel without care.

With a raised eyebrow and a smirk, Jareth silently held the list before him, reading the hastily written words that had seemed so important to the mortal woman. He would study these questions, and slowly he would answer them, easing her into trusting him.

He needed her trust, after all, if his plan was going to work.

* * *

 **This chapter took a little longer than it should have to spit out.**

 **I must admit, I was suffering from writer's block, but it has seemed to release me for now. So, fingers crossed.**

 **One last thing before I get to reviews... I cannot express how sad I was at David Bowie's death. It hit me harder than anyone else's besides my grandpa's. So, Rest in Peace, David. You changed the world and will always be remembered. You live on through the ways you have touched the world, you live on in our memories and our hearts.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Wild-is-good: Thank you for telling me you loved the last chapter! Hopefully, you will enjoy a little bit of this Sarah/Jareth interaction here as well!**

 **tessamartin1: I would do a Magic Dance, but I doubt that I could pull it off as gracefully as David Bowie did. ;)**

 **Lylabeth1: Thank you for another review! (:D)**

 **ElementalFoxGoddess: Thanks for your review. I didn't update as 'soon' as you'd probably like, but here's another chapter, nonetheless.**

 **Animemaniagirl: Awwwwwww, thanks so much! I couldn't help but add a little Irish Folklore into the tale. And I'm glad to hear you enjoy their interactions. That's the hardest part for me to write.**

 **LokeSally: I sure can! Here's another one!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the labyrinth. The world is too cruel to me... :/**

 **Thank you guys so much for your reviews! They make me so happy! I luv it.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed! The next chapter should be coming out soon!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I wanted to say thank you to all of the people that have been favoriting/following. :) It gives me a fuzzy feeling in my heart.**

 **Disclaimer: I cannot claim that I own the labyrinth, because that would be a lie. The only thing that I own is Cara, which sucks, really. Maybe I should create a Jareth lookalike so that I could own that...**

 **... I would share it, I promise.**

* * *

"Why can't I just," Sarah mimicked the gesture she had seen him make hundreds of times before.

Jareth tilted his head with an amused grin.

"You _know_ , just," She raised her hand again, flicking her wrist and pretending to summon a crystal.

"Because it's not _just_ about the movement." Jareth replied, obviously enjoying Sarah's frustrated and humorous portrayal of him. He had to admit, it felt nice that she finally recognized the extent of his power. Using magic took years of practice to perfect. Jareth was centuries old, hence, why he made it seem as if the act was no effort at all.

"Well, am I at least doing the hand motion right?" Sarah sighed.

"Come closer and I can show you."

She did not like the sound of that, nor did she like the mischievous gleam in his eyes. This was her second day of training with him, and she found that she rather liked it. The day before she had been nervous, but he had broken the ice by comically commenting on something - she couldn't even remember now - and all she could think of was that it would be nice if he was like this all the time. Perhaps, he was. Sarah found herself wondering if he was not _all_ bad. Maybe this side of him was real…

"I'm not sure…" Sarah said. Her feet were already too close to the boundary of the fairy ring, and she knew that if she crossed that invisible line she would be completely in his power. Part of her had to wonder if this is why he was being so kind. Was it some ploy to slowly dismantle all her guards?

"You have to have some faith in me, Sarah." Jareth warned. At her distrusting look he added, "I will not pull you into the fairy ring. Simply allow me to _show_ you by coming closer."

She silently relented, allowing her feet to drag to the very edge and limit of the surrounding forest. Sarah stood at the mouth that separated the trees, knowing that if Jareth wanted to, he could simply grab her by the shoulders and tug her into the ring, and it would be over. She didn't know what would happen after that, but she knew that she would be in his mercy.

It was at this thought, that she gazed up at the man - no, being - that stood just a few inches in front of her. Hesitantly, she raised her hand and allowed him to grab it, but he did not show any alarming signs. No, instead her held up her delicate, slim fingers, and he smoothed them into a fist. His leather gloved hands felt cold against her skin.

"You promise you won't pull me in?" Sarah raised an eyebrow.

"I _can't_ pull you in. You have to enter of your own accord." He responded, not making eye contact but focusing on her pale fingers.

Ignoring the feeling of his cool, leather gloves against her skin, Sarah continued to gaze up at this strange being before her. "Goblin King," She began.

"-Jareth." He corrected automatically.

"Jareth," Sarah continued, and Jareth fought a slight smile that was beginning to pull at the corner of his lips. He quickly concealed his face into a tight, emotionless mask, once again intently focusing on their connected hands, but the smile still lingered in his eyes.

Sarah tried not to ponder too hard on the smirk he had almost given when she had finally said his name. Instead, she continued to ignore the contact their hands were making for the first time in years, though this felt more intimate than the first time, and she opened her mouth to finish her question.

"You said you've visited this fairy ring before. Why?" She studied his face as he opened his mouth.

"When your world was young," he smirked, and his eyes seemed to be far away in the distance, in another place, "When it had _just_ a little bit more believe than now, they would join us in this spot." He motioned theatrically to the clearing behind him, but did not let go of Sarah's hand -which, for some odd reason, she did not mind - and he turned back to her with shining eyes. "We would dance… but that was years ago." His face returned to now, becoming a cold, mask. It seemed he was not going to add more to his answer. He no longer seemed interested in Sarah's fingers, and instead, he simply pushed her hand into the correct position, and let go.

Jareth stood straighter, with a face that said _Let's get down to business_ , and he motioned with his hand the correct movement. Sarah tried to copy it, making a much less graceful hand motion. She frowned and tried it again, flipping her hand just as he had, but it didn't look right.

"Jareth," she said impatiently.

His eyes finally flicked up to hers, the concealing mask somewhat melting away. Sarah did not realize that she could command his attention so easily by simply saying his name, she should have done that sooner.

"I'm not doing it right."

Slowly, the king reached his gloved hand out, raising an eyebrow for permission. At her curt nod, he grabbed her hand and pulled it forward, raising it up and correcting the position of her fingers, he then pushed it in the exact motion it was supposed to go.

"But," Sarah still continued, "Cara said something about a queen, and children being stolen…" She recalled the old woman's tale to her when they had first met, trying hard not to let a shiver roll up her spine. She was standing by the fairy ring _and_ interacting with a fae, but Sarah seemed to have gotten this far in life without incident, hopefully her luck will still continue to aid her.

"Are you accusing me of stealing them?" Jareth raised an eyebrow, but no humor shown in his eyes.

"No," Sarah said hastily, then she scolded herself silently for answering too quickly. "It - I was just wondering, since she said it was fairies that stole the children, could they have possibly used this fairy ring to…?" The words drifted off. Her green eyes bore into his, and his returned her burning stare. This was a serious conversation, and though she was not quite accusing him, his answer could change the way she viewed him.

"Sarah," Jareth let go of her hand, stepping back and giving her much needed space. Sarah noticed his retreat, and somehow she was able to breathe again, though she hadn't realized she was holding her breath. She gave him a thankful look.

"The story you have heard is a common folktale told here, though the facts are not quite as true…" He feigned indifference, flicking at something on his sleeve that was not visible from Sarah's naked eye. "Tell me, what happens when a story is passed around from person to person? Does it remain the same, or is it twisted as each person corrects it to their own liking?"

"It's twisted." Sarah answered.

He nodded. "Would you like to know the _real_ story?"

Sarah remained quiet as he took slow, predator like steps towards her. She was not afraid, he could not harm her. He had said himself that she had to step into the ring with free will, yet, that hungry look in his eyes was slightly alarming.

She raised her jaw defiantly as he neared her.

Sarah could feel his hot breath on her face, she could smell the leather from his clothes. And his own unique, spicy scent. It was almost too much.

"She killed them." He whispered into her ear.

Sarah's eyes widened in horror. And he practically cackled in delight at her fright. "Oh, yes." He continued, pulling back slightly, "Interesting how the story's facts have changed so much… Would it make you feel better now if it was simply about some kleptomaniac fairy that had stolen the children away in the night?"

She frowned at him, glaring with a look that could match the fires of hell. "Why is that so funny to you?" Sarah asked, remembering how he had chuckled in delight.

He smirked," Oh, Sarah. I'm sorry… Was that too dark for you?"

"Your sense of humor is kind of morbid, you know that?"

He shrugged off her comment, not seeming to take as much offense by it as she had meant him to. "Ah, well. I suggest you take a break. You've been practicing long enough." Jareth continued on with the magic lessons as if they had never strayed to the grim topic.

"But I haven't even made a crystal yet." Sarah argued. She wouldn't admit it, but she was becoming quite fond of spending time with him. His witty responses and charming demeanor kept Sarah frequently on her toes, and she was quickly discovering how much she liked being there.

He held up a hand in response. "You need time to allow your body to recharge. I suggest that you refrain from further _lessons_ today." He seemed to spit out the word lessons as if it left an awful taste in his mouth.

"You don't like me practicing with Cara, do you?" Sarah inquired. She was sure that it was jealousy that had laced his voice.

"I don't quite relish the fact that a _witch_ \- a novice compared to me - is trying to teach you magic." The king defended himself, haughtily drawing himself up to full height. "You should focus all of your energy on _my_ lessons." He placed a gloved hand on his chest as he emphasized the word.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Really?" She sighed, "If it bothers you so much, just think of it as extra credit." The young woman gave Jareth a teasing grin.

He found he was getting used to her teasing comments, finding her little quirks quite adorable instead of annoying or instigating. The way she gave him a wide smile when she was happy, or even just simply content. When she furrowed her brows while in deep concentration, or the way she frowned when he would make an offhand remark that could be taken in many ways. This little things she did he found himself studying, and he had to admit, he had never invested as much time in anyone else besides himself before.

"Um," she called his attention and his eyes snapped to hers. This seemed to make her more uncomfortable. "I know that I usually leave around this time, but… Do you mind if I stay for a while?" Sarah shifted on her feet, "I was planning on reading outside instead of just locking myself in my room."

"Are you asking my permission to remain outside?" He tilted his head to the side with an amused look.

"Well, when you put it like _that_." Sarah laughed, then she shook her head and retrieved her satchel from the ground.

She tried to ignore the feeling of his stare as she dug through her bag, searching for the book that she had read many times before but still enjoyed it as much as the first time. When her slim fingers grasped the cool, hardcover of the book, she slipped it out of the bag and slowly lowered herself to the ground.

He lingered for a while, still standing, and when Sarah felt as if her ears had reached the temperature of the sun, she turned and looked up at him. She was shocked, seeing his figure framed by the rays of the sun. He looked so powerful and yet he was unable to do anything to her. Whether it was because he hadn't tried to, or because of the boundary line between him, she didn't know.

"Would you like to read with me?" She asked, unsurely scooting closer to the edge of the forest.

Jareth gave her an odd look, and Sarah remembered that he was a creature from an entirely different world. She wondered if anyone had ever offered such a menial thing to him before. But after a few seconds of him pondering , he seemed to give her a look that asked what the harm in it was. He slowly and gracefully bent his lithe body to sit down beside her. He was almost as close to the forest as she was to the clearing. The only time they had ever been closer was when he had held her hand when correcting her form.

Sarah shifted her body so that he could view the book, and his brows lifted as he peered over the pages.

She felt butterflies in her stomach for some odd reason.

* * *

That night, Sarah contemplated her day, sprawled out across her bed, but not wanting to cover herself up with the warm blankets just yet. Jareth was a mystery to her. She didn't love him, but she was afraid that she _liked_ him, which was a big difference from her previous feelings of contempt towards him. However, she was afraid that his mysterious, yet charming manner was - or will eventually - wooing her.

She cringed.

It was time for bed, she decided. Her mind was tired, after all. She could be feeling things that she really _didn't_ feel, and it was just a symptom of being exhausted.

* * *

 **Reviews:**

 **Ebony-Dove: Thank you! And thank you for your review!**

 **LovelyAmberLight: Thanks, interactions are the hard part. Although, as their feelings advance, I'm finding it easier. And, I cannot say who the villain might be, or if there even _is_ a villain. But it might surprise you... Muahahhaa.**

 **Dekejis: Thank you! My muse seems to be happy as long as I supply it with heavy doses of caffeine. I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)**

 **Guest: Yes, time has always seemed to pass faster for me when grieving. It's odd that it's coming up on two months, it feels like it has still just happened. Though I cannot express how his family must be feeling. I'm keeping them in my prayers. And I'm glad you thought that was sweet. :) You should find out his plan soon... maybe.**

 **Jetredgirl: Awwww, thank you! That compliment means a lot to me! I'm actually sick at the moment, so I had to power through this chapter with a headache. So, if some stuff doesn't make sense, you'll know why. Lol. And yes, we must keep writing! I've always enjoyed your stories. :)**

 **Random American: Thank youuuu! :)**

 **find your North Star: Enjoy this chapter! I hope you love it as much as the last one.**

 **notwritten: Thanks, I shall. :) These reviews definitely put a smile on my face.**

 **Lylabeth 1: I always love your reviews. :) I wish I updated more often, too. But I only have time to squeeze out a chapter once a week. :(**

 **Stormbutterfly: Yes, Sarah needed something! I mean, it was implied in the movie. "Certain Powers", how could they not elaborate more on that? I wish they could have done a sequel with the original cast before it was too late. I'm also enjoying your story. :)**

 **3Silmarils: Awwww, that's so sweet. :) Thank you.**

 **PaleJewel1: Thanks! I feel the best way to honor him would be to create. David Bowie isn't forgotten. :) Thank you!**

 **Seriously, thank all of you for your reviews! I know it sounds repetitive by now, but all I can really say is 'Thank you'. Every one of them made me smile. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please follow/fav. if you did.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello, everyone! Disclaimer: I do NOT own The Labyrinth, and the poem below is The Lepracaun, or, Fairy Shoemaker by William Allingham. I hope everyone had a great St. Patrick's Day, and please enjoy the chapter. :)**

* * *

 _Lay your ear close to the hill._

 _Do you not catch the tiny clamour,_

 _Busy click of an elfin hammer,_

 _Voice of the Lepracaun singing shrill_

 _As he merrily plies his trade?_

 _He's a span_

 _And a quarter in height._

 _Get him in sight, hold him tight,_

 _And you're a made_

 _Man!_

"It's all going well, dear." The figure's lips quirked slightly, satisfied with its success.

"I'm not sure how, as nothing has gone as planned so far." A second figure replied slowly, the absence of a sarcastic tone, but more of a hesitant, unsure voice, almost as if it was asking permission to speak.

The first figure's lips dropped, the last comment had foiled its jolly mood. The prominent smile lines on its face disappeared. The second person, the more cautious one, wondered how it was even possible for the first figure to have laugh lines. Whether or not they had given a genuine laugh before was a mystery to them.

"No, no…" It shook its head, "You're right. Nothing has gone as planned… but _this_ is better than before." A single finger shot down, heavily tapping on the coffee table to emphasize the point.

"This is _far_ better."

* * *

"No, Karen!" Sarah scrunched her face, holding the cheap cell phone away from her with disgust, before she quickly pulled it back to herself to hear her step-mother's next response.

"I didn't mean _now_." Karen's voice teasingly rang through the prepaid phone.

"It's not like that…" Sarah shuffled her feet, gazing around the streets of the town. There were a few people out, probably scavenging for a place to buy lunch, but Sarah felt it was safer to talk to her family here than back at the hotel. She wasn't sure why.

"Oh, Sarah." Karen crooned dramatically, "Can you imagine… _My_ daughter falling for a charming, foreign man!"

Sarah snorted and could practically imagine her step-mother holding her hand across her forehead theatrically. "I never said I fell for him." She laughed as her stepmother continued to ramble on over her voice. "Karen - _stop_! I'm being serious." The young woman tried to whisper the last words after getting curious glances from nearby tourists.

"I'm sorry Sarah, it's just so romantic." Karen continued.

She sighed, shaking her hand. "It's not as if he gave me flowers, it's just that I'm starting to enjoy his company. Simple as that. You know, I called you for a completely different reason than to talk about this." Sarah said matter-of-factly.

"Yes, but once you mentioned that you've met an intelligent, charming gentleman the conversation _had_ to change topics."

"... Is Toby there?"

"Yes, let me put him on." Karen said, and the phone went silent for a few seconds. Then Sarah heard heavy breathing and the sound of her favorite childhood cartoon characters talking in the background.

Then suddenly, "Sarah's got a _boyfriend_! Sarah's got a _boyfriend_!"

"Et tu Brute?" She mumbled to herself. Sarah could hear Karen's laugh as the high-pitched voice of her little brother cheered on. "Toby, _please_ stop." Sarah begged.

"Hi, Sarah." He sobered, but she could still hear an energetic waver in his voice.

 _Finally_ , Sarah thought. Dramatically sighing and leaning her body on a brick wall behind her. "What's up, Toby?"

"Oh, dad bought us pizza and I won an art contest." He babbled. "I drew a picture of our family. Oh, also, Mom said she might get us a dog. I asked her if I could name it Pluto - like the dog from Mickey Mouse. But she said she wanted to wait until you came home before we did anything." He finished, taking a deep breath.

Toby had such a lively personality, Sarah mused sweetly. Then the words hit her _home_. She had to go home soon. Sarah had almost forgotten that this trip to Ireland was only a visit. Her time was running out and she only had around two weeks left. But she was accomplishing _so_ much here, and she didn't want it to end. What about her magic lessons? What about Jareth…?

Would she ever see him again?

But as she heard the sound of her little brother's voice, the one person that she loved so dearly that she risked her very life for, she felt a rush of guilt pour through her. She was starting to consider the very being that kidnapped her brother a friend. How could she do that to Toby?

"And then dad got mad because he said I couldn't watch it." Toby's voice broke through her inner monologue.

"Watch what?" Sarah asked, coming back to herself.

"Hocus Pocus."

"Dad said you can't watch Hocus Pocus?" Sarah frowned at the pouting silence Toby had sunken into, "Well, why not?" She prodded.

"Because he thinks it might be too scary for me…"

"He thinks it might be too scary for you…" Sarah repeated, "That's coming from the guy that let you watch The Shining." She shook her head, "Oh, well. Dad's the boss, I guess."

"-Hey!" Her father's voice cut in, "I skipped the scariest scenes!"

"What, like _all_ of the movie?" Sarah jested.

He was silent after that, and Toby returned to the phone. They continued their talk, Sarah avoided questions about her supposed 'boyfriend' and the questions about when she was returning home. She briefly wondered if she should postpone her flight, but then Toby had said something so endearing that she decided against it. Once again, Sarah somehow found herself having to choose between her 'normal' life, and magic. The former one always seemed to win, and Sarah tried to suppress the sadness that lingered after that realization.

Returning to the hotel, Sarah was in a more somber mood than she had been when she'd left. Unhurriedly, she dragged herself up the stairs. Her feet seemingly no longer wanting to resist the gravitational pull as she lifted them from the steps with great effort. She gave a dramatic sigh once she passed the wooden door frame into her room, shutting the door behind her as quickly and quietly as possible. If Cara knew she was back she would try to press more lessons on her, and Sarah was not in the mood for magic. In fact, she didn't feel like she was in the mood for _anything_.

Perhaps, she decided with a nod to herself, a nap was in order.

The idea of sleep seemed to be the only thing that lifted her melancholy spirits slightly. And as she turned tiredly to the bed, her eyes caught an out of place object in her room. As a teenager, she would have ranted at the invasion of privacy, but now there was only curiosity.

Sarah walked over to the object that sat innocently on the nightstand. Her eyebrow lifted in amusement, as did the corner of her mouth. She knew that the hotel castle was _very_ old, and she knew that the staff liked to recreate the feeling of the castle when it was in its prime, but _this_.

"Well, it's cute." Sarah defended the object out-loud.

Whatever it was, it was wrapped in tattered linen cloth that seemed to be older than her. The edges were frayed, but they seemed to still want to hold together desperately, like parting lovers.

Sarah took the object in her hands, surprised by it's heaviness, but not at the rough texture of the cloth. Slowly, she opened it, cautious at what the hidden gift might be. She had learned a long time ago that not all gifts were 'nice'.

The young woman cringed and leaned away from it, as her nimble fingers lifted the linen, but she gasped when the object was revealed. It was… it was beautiful, and it begged no question as to whom gave it to her. There was a note that sat with the object, and written in loopy cursive that was perfected yet messy in only a way that could be achieved by years of practice was:

 _Sarah,_

 _You told me your kind's stories. I thought it would only be 'fair' to share mine._

 _-J_

It was a simple message, but it warmed her heart all the same. "Jareth…" Sarah breathed, then she gently wrapped the beautiful thing back up and placed it in her satchel with delicate care. Abandoning the idea of taking a nap, she wrapped her satchel around herself and quietly left her room to find the fae that was responsible.

* * *

"You didn't have to…" Sarah voiced out loud before the clearing was even in sight.

"Oh, but I wanted to," he answered as Sarah stepped into view.

She stood before him, present in-hand, with a smile on her face that voiced her gratitude for her. Sarah had never received a gift like this before. Sure, she had been a spoiled teenager, but nothing she had owned had been sentimentally given to her. Nothing had a purpose. The only gifts she received from her mother had been limo rides and sometimes cheap costume jewelry. Her father had no idea of the things she liked so he bought typical things that he assumed most teenage girls liked. But nothing had ever been better than this gift.

"This is the biggest book I've ever seen…" Sarah said, unwrapping it from the linen, "'The Stories of the Labyrinth'," She read the title out, and she carefully traced her fingers over the beautiful lines that decorated the cover.

"It is the history of my kingdom, as well as written folktales told from my kind." Jareth responded, secretly beaming at the happiness Sarah showed with the gift.

"Your kind has folktales?"Sarah raised an eyebrow.

"Why wouldn't we?" Jareth cocked his head to the side, wondering what was going on in that mind of her's.

"It's just, well, I don't know. I just didn't expect it." She shrugged it off, and he chose to as well. After a few seconds of silence, Sarah said, mindful of the warnings about thanking the fae, "I really appreciate this... " She gave him a strong, meaningful look and took a few steps closer, now as close to him as she could possibly get.

Then, suddenly, he was standing right before her. They were mindful of the boundary line that separated them, yet, if she wanted to, she could lift her hand and touch him.

"I'm glad you enjoyed my gift…" He said, his eyes now focusing strongly on her's, returning the meaningful look she gave him, however his face showed it differently. The emotion pouring off of him was more intimate. "Perhaps you should return the favor?" His crooked teeth shown, in possibly a wicked grin, but Sarah's face was too close to study the actions of his mouth perfectly. Instead, she could see eyes, and she assumed that's all he could see, as well. Green eyes meeting blue eyes.

They leaned in closer, if it was possible, and Sarah felt her hands touch the leather of his jacket. She briefly acknowledged that this was the first time she had initiated contact, but before she could second guess herself, his gloved hands wound themselves around her. The leather on him wasn't warm. It was cold like the air around them, but she pressed herself closer still. Maybe seeking his warmth? His breath was warm, Sarah noticed, and she found herself seeking that warmth.

He followed her movements, knowing what she was thinking, for he wanted it too, and slowly he lowered his thin lips to her's… And just as they were a single breathe away, just when her mind was beginning to go blank -if it hadn't before- a voice called out from behind her, shocking her.

" _Sarah_?" A woman yelled.

The young woman pulled away as if she had been burned. She refused to ponder more on the brief disappointment that had made the King's brows furrow, the emotion on his face was gone before she could say anything.

 _I almost kissed him_ , Sarah tried to fight the feelings that overcame her at that thought.

Sarah turned and faced the voice that was responsible for breaking them apart, but no one was there.

" _Sarah?_ " It called again, and it sounded as if it was in the distance, somewhere deep in the forest, searching for her.

"Cara?" Sarah yelled in response.

" _Over here, Sarah. I'm coming._ " Cara's response was drifting closer, and Sarah turned around with a quick and panicked expression on her face, a question on her mouth directed towards Jareth.

He simply held up a gloved hand. A smirk spreading on his face with a positively wicked gleam in his eyes. Without saying a word, he gave her a mock bow and promptly disappeared from sight. She wondered how he did that with such ease when she could hardly move a flower pot gracefully.

"Sarah!" Cara's voice found her, and the young woman turned to see the old woman standing only a few feet away from her.

"Oh, hi…" Sarah said, then she spotted the present Jareth had given to her. It lay on the ground beside her, and she could not remember ever placing it there. She had been holding it when… had she dropped it?

Quickly, she bent down to retrieve it, wrapping it carefully and silently apologizing to it for being so careless. She wanted to blame her absentmindedness on Jareth, but she knew he could not take _all_ the blame.

"What are you… What are you doing out here?" Sarah asked, slipping the book with false indifference into her satchel. Cara ignored this, her eyes seemed to be shocked at the surroundings.

In fact, Cara even ignored her question, "You - You found it!" The older woman stepped closer. "I cannot believe this… You - _You_ found it."

"Cara," Sarah frowned, unconsciously moving away from the older woman. "What are you talking about?"

"You found the Fairy Ring." Cara raised her hands to the field, yet cautiously not stepping into it, reaffirming Sarah's suspicion that entering it was a bad idea.

Cara's hands spread out over the air as if there was something to be felt, as if she was searching for something. "After all these years of searching… _you_ found it." She whispered, but Sarah heard it perfectly clear.

* * *

 **Thank you guys for reading! The reviews I received last chapter made me so happy! Thank you guys so much. :)**

 **Reviews:**

 **kellyn1604 - Awe, I'm glad you're enjoying the story! :)**

 **find your North Star - _You_ are really awesome!**

 **Lylabeth1 - Thank you, Lylabeth! :) This story was originally supposed to be 3 chapters long. Can you imagine? I don't know how I thought I was going to squeeze it all into 3 chapters. Seriously, I feel like I'm writing a novel over here. ;)**

 **Maantje - It made me glad that you said that, it means that I'm achieving what I'm aiming for, lol. I'm glad you're enjoying it, thank you for reviewing!**

 **Guest - Thank you! I try, lol.**

 **Meredith - Here is more! Glad you love it! :)**

 **hyrulian dream weaver - You don't know how much of a compliment that is! That sincerely made my day. Thanks so much for your review.**

 **Wild-is-good - Hahah, yeah, go Jareth! You have a great day, as well! Thank you for reviewing. :))**

 **Celestials - Wow, thank you! I'm glad you checked my story out, then! :) I feel like the next few chapters will further develop the plot.**

 **Again, thank you guys! Every single review, favorite and follow made me smile. Thanks all around! If you're enjoying my story please review, favorite and follow, and thank you for your time!**


	10. Chapter 10

"Cara," Sarah called, trying to get the older woman's attention. They stood outside the fairy ring, but Cara was busying herself by inspecting the edge of the forest. She seemed to be testing her limits, lifting a hesitant wrinkled hand out to the clearing. Cara continued to almost ignore Sarah's presence.

Sarah studied Cara, then she decided to copy her movements. She inched her way to the edge of the forest, now curious, and extended her hand out. The young woman wondered what it would feel like to cross the boundary. She wondered if the atmosphere would feel different, as if she had stepped into space. Or would she feel the same? Magic-less and disappointed?

In her consideration, Sarah was lost in her mind and completely unaware that she had been leaning into the field, her hand still extended in mid-air.

"No, child!" Cara's shaky voice startled her. The old woman was suddenly behind her, a protective hand had shot out and grabbed Sarah's shoulder in warning. "You mustn't go any closer."

Sarah drew her arm in, suddenly aware of the danger she had almost fallen - quite literally - into. "Cara," she asked, turning to the older woman that had given her a considerate amount of space, "Just what _is_ this thing?"

"Haven't you heard the legends?" Cara raised her brows, "All the humans stolen away in the dead of night because they wandered too far?"

Sarah shook her head. She knew this place was dangerous, it must have been to be practically a spawning ground for the fae. A _portal_ he had said. Although, she had never heard the stories behind it.

"It is said," Cara began in her teaching voice. She seemed to become more confident when she was explaining or sharing knowledge, regardless if it was correct, or not. "That Fairy Rings are places where Fairies gather. They dance and sing throughout the night, leaving behind a ring of mushrooms…" Cara's eyes narrowed to the edge of the forest. "However, there are no mushrooms here. But as you can see," the old woman motioned to a line of grass that was slightly more brown than the rest of it, " _That_ is the boundary line. Do _not_ cross that without my permission."

"Why not?" Sarah pushed.

"If you were to enter it, there would be no telling what would happen to you. You could be stolen away to the Underground, never to be seen again. There are many possibilities."

Goosebumps raised across Sarah's skin. A freezing wave of fright and caution pulsing throughout her body. Jareth had tried to get her to enter the fairy ring. _That_ was what he wanted from her, wasn't it? He wanted to steal her away for revenge purposes.

"Cara… could, could a fae pull someone in?" Sarah asked, her green eyes wide and staring straight at the line of brown grass that separated the forest from the ring.

"No, they could perhaps touch you. They could grab you, but they cannot _force_ you in the ring physically. You would have to enter it of your own accord. Well," Cara cocked her head to the side, rethinking her statement. "That doesn't mean they couldn't _persuade_ you, or even use _magic_ to willing have you enter. Besides, if a fae _could_ pull you in, I doubt they would. They're a mischievous bunch and they'd much rather have a challenge."

Sarah frowned, deep in thought. Was this what her relationship with Jareth was? Was he trying to coerce her into entering by being sweet? Perhaps her thought he could woo her into wanting to enter, and then he could sprint her away to the Underground?

 _Is that such a bad thing?_ Her mind taunted her.

Yes, yes it is, she reminded herself. She would need to further question Jareth before she could even begin to trust him. The worst part was, she felt a part of her was in denial. A part of her told her that he would never do something like that to her. She wanted to laugh at how naive she could be.

"We should return." Cara said, beckoning Sarah to leave with a quick wave. "Although, I believe it would be beneficial to your magic lessons if we would practice a few times out here…" the old woman continued, now walking away from the fairy ring. Her loose curls bouncing with each step.

Sarah followed the old woman, her mind too busy on a certain fae to listen to the witch's words.

* * *

They had entered Cara's hotel room only half an hour later. Earl, Cara's husband, had caught sight of them, ducked his head in acknowledgement, and swiftly exited the room with no further comment. Sarah had thought to tell him he could stay, but she briefly wondered if he wasn't leaving out of politeness, but out of consternation towards her presence.

 _It wouldn't be the first time_ , Sarah reminded herself. She remembered those dreaded days in high school. The awkward dinner table conversations that had been strained out of fear for her quick, fiery temper. Thankfully, she had long since reigned it in.

She hoped.

"Sit down, dear." Cara said, patting the seat next to her.

Once they were both comfortably seated, and Cara had placed before them two steaming cups of tea, they began Sarah's magic lessons.

"I feel that you have been doing exceedingly well, Sarah. You've already accomplished much more than the others."

"The others?"

Cara froze, her tea cup halfway to her mouth. Blinking, the old witch tried to regain her composure.

Sarah leaned forward, waiting for the old woman to explain.

"Now dear," Cara chuckled, her wrinkled body relaxed. "You didn't let me finish." She placed the tea back on the coffee table. "I meant 'others' as in 'most people'. Not everybody can access magic, you know. It's like… A natural born talent." She shrugged, forgetting her still completely full tea, and leaned back comfortably.

"Oh," Sarah smiled. She, of course, had her suspicions, but she supposed she could drop them for now. Cara would open up when she wanted to, and Sarah wasn't the jealous type. If Cara was training other students she would hardly care. Besides, Sarah had to be the last person that was qualified to lecture someone on secrets.

"As I was saying," Cara continued as if they had not just had an odd moment of silence, "I feel we need to advance your lessons. Let's start with your mind." The old woman leaned forward. "I can establish a link, a way to access your magic easily, if you would let me. I would have to enter your mind and create it."

"Uh," Sarah unconsciously shifted away from the older woman, "I don't think that's…"

"Oh, come now, darling." Cara leaned herself closer to the slowly shrinking girl, "It's no big problem. Establishing a link between two minds is a way for me to help you. If you were to mess up, I would be able to access your magic and control it. Think of it as a safety precaution."

The young woman sighed, reasoning with herself that there was no reason to distrust the older woman. Scratching the side of her head, Sarah nodded and said, "Well… when you put it like _that_. I guess…"

"-Great!" Cara jumped up, her eyes beaming with something. She looked at Sarah the way a mother would look at their child, and Sarah, never having a devote mother, couldn't help but feel a rush of pride.

"Okay, great. So, how do we start?" She said, straightening her posture.

"It's easy, just relax yourself. Rigid minds are a whole lot harder to get into." The old woman placed her cold fingers on Sarah's forehead. The young woman couldn't help but tense at the temperature of the freezing digits.

"Oh, geeze, Cara. Your hands are _cold_."

"Shhh," the old woman crooned. Cara closed her eyes, and to Sarah she seemed to be focusing greatly. She could see the witch's eyes move rapidly under her eyelids, and she could feel the cold fingertips increase in pressure on her forehead, but Sarah, herself, did not feel _anything_.

"Relax, Sarah. Try not to think of anything." Cara furrowed her eyebrows.

She tried to clear her mind. Sarah tried to focus on only waiting for the link to be established. Then, she wondered what it would feel like. Would she know when the link was put into place? Would she be able to always feel it there in her mind? Perhaps, the constant presence of something else would slowly drive her insane.

Sarah shivered, Cara's fingers were even colder than they had been before.

Would it hurt when the link is established? Would it burn, singeing her mind? Or would it be a chill that settles across her body, almost as cold as Cara's hands. Sarah shrunk away from Cara. "Actually, I-"

"Shhhh, foolish girl." Cara clenched her teeth, grabbing Sarah's head with force. " _Stay put_."

"No," Sarah pulled away, prying Cara's fingers off her head like stubborn vines. "I don't want to anymore. I didn't want it in the first place, _really_."

Sarah stood, ignoring the harsh glare the older woman sent her. She pretended not to notice how Cara clenched her fists, or how she seemed to be shaking with fury. "Have a good night," Sarah said calmly, picking up her satchel, dusting herself off and walking away.

"Child, this is a most unwise decision. I promise you." Cara said to the young woman's back.

" _Goodnight_ , Cara." Sarah called, giving her a quick wave without a glance back, and swiftly exiting the room.

The witch stood, riddled in fury, in the now empty room. _She_ had stopped it. This _girl_ had somehow figured out how to block her mind from her. Cara had felt the woman tense up, she had felt the girl's mind push back in defense, but she hadn't expected much more force than that. But the girl had somehow put up a shield against her. _No_ _matter_ , Cara thought with conviction. It was a flimsy mind-barrier and could easily be broken into. Sara hadn't been trained for it yet, so she did not know how to put up a strong, sturdy block.

"She only made this harder on herself…" Cara shook her head. She knew what to do next.

* * *

" _Jareth_!" Sarah called. It was dark outside, and she couldn't see much. She had been wandering around the forest since a little before the sun had set, but she couldn't turn back now. She _needed_ to see him.

Sarah only hoped she wouldn't stumble blindly into the Fairy Ring first.

"Jareth," she called again.

"Sarah."

His voice was closer to her than she expected, and she swung around to see him standing behind her. It was dark, she could only see the outline of him, but she felt a sudden longing to run to him and seek his comfort. However, she noticed that he seemed wary of the edge of the fairy ring. She noticed that he lingered nervously, close to the boundary line, and he seemed to want to cross over just as much as she wanted to.

"I-I," Sarah sighed, _calm yourself_ , she thought. "I just got back from a magic lesson… it just… freaked me out a little."

"Magic is dangerous," he said, almost indifferently, "It is not like your fairy tales, Sarah. Magic is more than mischievous little pranks and parlor tricks."

"I _know_ , you didn't need to tell _me_ that." Her temper flared, but she forced herself to reign it in. If she could see better, she would have sworn he was smirking at her statement.

"So," He said, and his shadow crossed its arms nonchalantly. "You came to tell me a magic lesson 'freaked' you out?"

"Well," Sarah sighed, now wondering if she was being a _bit_ too revealing. "I just came to say that… that…" Her mind searched for the right words, "That your lessons are more… _fun_." She shrugged, inside she was congratulating herself. Sarah knew she had really come to seek comfort, though she wouldn't admit it out loud. But, perhaps she didn't need to. He had come, hadn't he? She had called him and he had appeared to her, ready to talk. Sarah doubted he had stood by and waited for her to run to the fairy ring, so how did he know she needed him? And why did he, a _king_ , listen to her call and arrive with no protest.

"My lessons are more… _fun_?" He asked, and she knew he had no doubt raised an eyebrow at this statement.

"Well, that is to say that… you're a better teacher." She said. Faintly wondering why is was that he hadn't asked her to create a mind-link like Cara had, even though they were practicing much more complex magic than Cara was teaching.

" _Sarah_ ," he sighed, "What happened?"

"Well, I doubt it was a big deal, and maybe I'm blowing it out of proportion, but," Sarah clutched her head tightly, not caring if she messed up her hair. She began to pace, "It was just _too_ weird, and it made me feel unsafe."

" _Sarah_." He said impatiently.

"-She asked me to form some mind-link with her. Like, a connection so she could monitor me, or something."

Jareth inhaled a sharp breath, and this made Sarah freeze.

"What?" She asked.

"You did not agree to this, I assume?" He said.

"Well," she walked closer to him, straining her eyes to see him and where the boundary line of the ring was. She was a little surprised to see he was standing as close as he could get to her. He looked as if he wanted to cross the line so badly, which was a sharp contrast from when she had first seen him. He had wanted _her_ to cross the line then, now it seemed like he just wanted to be with her. _Stop romanticizing it, Sarah_ , she warned herself. "I did not agree to it, at first. But I stopped it when she did it. I think, "Sarah laughed sheepishly, "I think she was quite mad."

Jareth didn't laugh. "I do not think you should see this _witch_ anymore, Sarah. She is too meddlesome where she should not be."

Sarah frowned, but she understood. "I think I'm actually agreeing with you, for once."

If it had been light outside, she would have seen the king before her crack a warm smile before quickly hiding it with indifference. But it was dark outside, and Sarah missed these things.

"Avoiding this witch would be best for you." He said, and it seemed like he was trying hard not to sound demanding.

"Can we just-" She shook her head, "Can we talk about something else?" Sarah could not shake the feeling of Cara's icy fingers on her forehead, the slow feeling of someone trying to push their way into her mind. She was right to think it was dangerous, and she was glad she had acted on instinct.

"Whatever you wish, precious."

"Okay, then sit with me, please." Sarah said. She could see his shadow slowly bend its way down gracefully to the ground of the clearing, and she did the same thing. "Tell me a story." She asked, anything to distract her mind would be like heaven right now.

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young girl," his accented, and pleasing voice began, "And she was _quite_ spoiled… She wished her little brother away to a hands-"

"Not _that_ story." Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Well, why not?" He asked.

"We already know the ending to _that_ one."

"I would disagree, Sarah." His voice whispered, and the air seemed to carry it to her ears.

"No - just… _Anything_ but that story, okay?"

"Hmm," he leaned back on his arms. She could see the outline of his head gaze up at the sky. The clearing had a perfect view of the stars, and Sarah could see them too, it she leaned over a little. She followed his gaze, staring at the clear night sky. They were silent for a while, and Sarah wondered if he had forgotten to think of a story, but she didn't care all too much. She found it peaceful, just living here in this moment. Then suddenly, his voice whispered:

"Have you heard the story behind those constellations?" She could see a gloved hand motion to the stars above.

"Not really," she whispered. Sarah didn't know why they were whispering, but it seemed like a delicate moment, and the only way to maintain it was to speak softly.

She listened to his voice as he told her about the legends behind the stars, and when she began to nod off, he didn't seem to mind. He continued talking softly, his accented voice lulling her to sleep in comfort, until she was out like a light. Sarah would have been surprised to know that he had stayed beside her for the majority of the night, and when the sun rose, and he had to return to his kingdom, he conjured a blanket and used magic to lay it over her. Then he disappeared in a shower of glitter and light back to his castle.

Sarah awoke a little bit later, surprised that it was daytime, and a little disappointed that Jareth was not there, but she smiled when she saw what he had left her.

"I just acquired a nice, free blanket." She nodded in approval.

* * *

 **Woot, we made it to chapter 10. Things should be heating up, now. Thank you guys for reading! As always, I do not own the labyrinth. Sadly.**

 **Just so everyone knows, I do reviews in order from the earliest ones to review, to the more recent ones.**

 **Reviews:**

 **3Silmarils - Awe, well thank you very much! I'm glad you weren't disappointed!**

 **LovelyAmberLight - Yeah, go Jareth! Haha, glad I got your heart pounding, it was intended. ;)**

 **kellyn1604 - Right? I was disappointed, too... and I'm the one that wrote it.**

 **find your North Star - Yes, how dare she.**

 **Guest #1 - Thank you!**

 **hyrulian dream weaver - Awe, thank you! It made me so happy to see your review. I'm glad it seems like I'm practically painting the story for you, it means a job well done. I so want a copy of the book, too. Sadly, it does not exist. :/ Hahaha, thanks for your review. :)**

 **Guest #2 - Hmmmm, should you be concerned for Sarah? Or is she in safer hands with Cara...? Hmmm... decisions, decisions... Thanks so much for your review! ;)**

 **Ebony-Dove - Your review actually made me laugh out loud. Thank you!**

 **starrmommy41 - Here is more! Wish has been granted! Hmmm, you might be onto something... I want to visit Ireland and see if I could find one. I would totally chance it and see what would happen if I stepped into one. Even if the outcome is bad, I think it would be awesome. ;)**

 **DarkEnigma322 - Uh oh, is it good, or is it bad? You shall have to see... *Plays ominous music* Thank you for your review!**

 **tonemara - Glad you're enjoying this story. To answer your question, they can still touch. Sarah could easily step into the fairy ring if she wants to. Jareth is the only one who cannot leave. But she can reach into it and whatnot. Kind of like in real life if I were to stumble upon one, I could still be able to reach in if I wanted to, nothing would stop me. The only thing Sarah _is_ being cautious of is actually _stepping_ inside the ring. I do hope that answered your question. Nothing is stopping them from touching. ****Thanks for your review!** **:)**

 **Guest #3 - Awe, you called my story precious... :)))) Thank you!**

 **Lion - Amazingly, here is an update! Thanks for your review! :D**

 **ariella21 - Hmmm, we will have to find out, won't we? Thank you for your review.**

 **I hope everyone had a great Easter. Tons of thanks for the most welcome reviews, favorites and follows. :)**


	11. Chapter 11

A lonesome King sat, quite bored, on a barbaric throne. Although, the throne room itself was full of plenty company, it was not the same. Goblins did not make very good conversationalists. Even if they did, the king found he craved a different type of company these days.

It was odd, he had always been quite a philanderer, yet now he was longing for something real. A genuine relationship, but only with _one_ woman. He couldn't imagine wanting anyone else. He couldn't imagine _being_ with anyone else. Jareth couldn't help it, he found himself different around her. More soft, less jaded… More _happy_.

She had unknowingly done that to him.

If he had known that this would be the outcome of receiving her trust, would he have tried to scare her more often? No, though something has definitely changed between them, the plan is still the same. He needed her trust to get what he wanted, and if he got a little more in the process, well that was even better.

"Gus!" He snapped his crop at a nearby goblin. "Give this to _the_ girl." The King rotated his gloved hand with practiced ease. A clear, round crystal appearing before them.

The goblin stood, wide eyed and mouth agape, staring at the king as if he had never expected his presence to be noticed in a million years.

"Dense cretins," Jareth muttered before raising his voice, "Need I tell you again?"

"N-No sire! Right away, Sire!" His stuttered, grabbing for the crystal.

Jareth pulled it out of his reach, raising an eyebrow, "And make sure she doesn't see you." He warned.

"O-Of course, Sire! Right away, Sire!" Gus babbled, retrieving the crystal. The sphere transformed in the goblins hands, becoming a heavy package wrapped in linen. Gus didn't seem to be startled, instead saluting to his king and quickly running off to perform his duty. Jareth refrained from rolling his eyes.

Once the goblin was out of sight the Goblin King went back to staring at the large clock across the room, stretched across his throne somehow lazily and gracefully. He would wait for Sarah to get his present then he would wait for her to meet him at the fairy ring. It was funny how she thought she had the power in a situation, but she was using it to play right into his hands. Did that mean, then, that he had the power?

* * *

Sarah avoided Cara for a while after that. She would run down the hall and seek refuge in her room when she could hear Cara's voice bounce through the walls of the hallway. When she would eat breakfast, she would never linger long enough for Cara to steal a seat near her. And she would scurry away, much like rats would, from Cara's offers of continuing magic lessons.

At first, she worried that she was being too dramatic. Perhaps Cara had meant no harm after all? However, Jareth's warnings rang loudly through her mind. If he, of all people, had advised her against it, no doubt it was something serious. After all, it was better to face the enemy you know.

She returned to her room after lunch with exhaustion running through her veins. Though she had felt wide awake and refreshed when she had awoken in the forest this morning, her sleep must have not been so restful as she thought. She felt like the floor was a good place to sleep right now.

Walking into the dark room, she was surprised to see that it looked as if someone had definitely been in there. Her suitcase was not in the spot it was earlier and had been torn wide open in the center of the room. Clothes had been sprawled out without care, books lay open with pages torn and bent, and the bed sheets were gathered in a heap on the floor.

Sarah choked back a gasp.

"Who did this?" She whispered through clenched teeth.

"Ughhh," A low and guttural voice came from behind her, "Uh, Lady?"

Sarah turned in shock, her green eyes narrowed down in anger at the tiny goblin that stood right behind her. The goblin itself wasn't really that cute to begin with, but it was one of those creatures that seemed to be so ugly that it was kind of adorable. It wore an over-sized T-shirt that was shockingly familiar to one Cara's husband had once worn. The only exception was that this one had holes and tears throughout it.

Curse the day she had ever let Jareth back into her life.

"Did you do this?" Sarah motioned to the mess behind her.

"Uhm, uh…" The goblin looked up at her shyly, his eyes widening with a pitiful sniff, "Uh oh?" He said with a voice that didn't sound very remorseful.

If Sarah had seemed angry before, it was nothing compared to how she looked now. Her room was trashed, absolutely trashed. The books that she treasured were ruined, not to mention the fact that she would have to explain this to the maid without seeming insane.

Her back stiffened, nostrils flaring and hands clenched. Sarah set her jaw, "Get out." She said, "Get out, now!"

The goblin scrambled back, recognizing the tone from a similar one the king often used when he was about to bog someone.

"No, wait." Sarah called just as the goblin readied himself to leave, "Explain why you did this."

"Uh, King sent me." The goblin hesitantly complied.

"The King told you to do this?" Sarah asked, raising her voice in disbelief. She couldn't believe he would do something like this after they had been well on their way to… to being friends. That thought struck Sarah into a stupor. Friends? Friends with the Goblin King? Being friends with him was highly improbable. Did he even know about friendship? But that's where she thought they were heading…

"No, King asked me to give ya this…" The goblin held out a package, shaking it close to his ear after a second, curious as to what could be in it.

"Give me that," Sarah snatched it away before he could destroy the contents. It was heavy, and it felt like it could be a book, but she didn't want to open it now. Not with the nosy goblin in front of her.

"So, then… He didn't ask you to sabotage my room?" Sarah asked after a few seconds of silence.

"Noes, I smelleded chocolate." The goblin replied with no shame.

Sarah sighed, shaking her head. After this week was over she was no doubt going to have high blood pressure.

The goblin pointed at something near its feet. "Chocolate good." It was a Hershey's candy bar, one that Sarah had packed at the bottom of her suitcase for her plane flight back to the States.

"So, you did all of this so you could get my candy bar?" Sarah rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. Then she kneeled down, surprising the goblin, who stumbled a couple steps back. Usually the king made his best threats when he was at eye level and talking in a soft voice. "What's your name?" Sarah asked politely.

"Uh, Gus?"

"Gus, you can have the rest of that candy bar, but please clean up this mess." Sarah said in such a way that seemed like she was requesting, but they both knew it was a demand.

"I can has chocolate?" He asked, his grubby fingers twining together hopefully. Sarah looked at his hands with disgust, she really hoped it was chocolate on them.

"Yes, you can have it as long as you clean up this mess you made in my room, and…" Her eyes glanced over his shirt, "And please don't steal anymore shirts, okay?"

He nodded gratefully, probably very appreciative that the punishment was much more merciful than the King's would have been. Jareth no doubt would have stuck him in the bog for this mess. Sarah frowned, or not, she remembered how his Throne Room had looked.

"I promise no more messes, Lady!" The goblin smiled wide, revealing many rows of many cavity filled teeth.

"Thank you, Gus. Now, I'm going to leave with this present, but I expect my room to be restored to how it used to look when I get back." Sarah raised an eyebrow, standing up, "Can you do that?"

"No problem!" He said, glancing down gleefully at the chocolate bar.

Sarah shook her head, only looking back once as she left the room. Goblins weren't the most intelligent creatures from her experience, but Jareth had told her once that there were many that were geniuses. She had yet to meet those ones.

She carried the package Jareth had sent her to the cafe. Sitting down in a quiet section of the room, she unwrapped it quickly with a slight smile.

It wasn't a book. It was two books. The first one was no doubt older than she was, and the cover seemed like Jareth had quickly tried to rid it of dust before setting it in the package. Sarah smiled, touching the yellowing pages lovingly. She was a sucker for old books, and had started a collection when she was younger of the oldest books she could find in antique shops. The first book's title read, "The Secrets of the Faery Magic". Sarah's eyebrows shot up, Jareth must really trust her if he would share such a book with her.

The second book was not as old as the first, and did not have a single spec of dust on the cover. It was awfully familiar, too. Sarah recognized the cover on first sight, "The Princess Bride". She was surprised Jareth had this book, as it was an Aboveground book. Her heart also melted at the sight of this one, as she had been telling him about this book the other day during one of their lessons. It had been one of her favorites, and her mother used to read it to her when she was little. Of course, when her parents divorced, her mom accidentally packed it and took it with her when she went away. Sarah hadn't touched the book since, but she had told Jareth it was a favorite, and she had been frustrated when she couldn't remember the details of the story enough to share it with him.

This was a very sweet gesture, Sarah thought, and sort of romantic… No, Sarah frowned, he certainly teased her, and definitely made a lot of flirtatious banter, but it was in his nature, wasn't it? Besides, a relationship with a fae was dangerous, and it often ended badly - usually for the human.

* * *

In another room above the cafe Sarah sat in, was a couple. Not an ordinary couple doing ordinary things. Quite the opposite, really.

They were stirring up trouble, literally.

"This should knock her out of her senses long enough for it to work, Husband Dear." The woman said. Her wrinkled hand holding a single piece of hair and releasing it, letting it slowly fall down and drift into the large pot. When it landed, it hit the thick, gooey substance that was boiling in the pot, sizzling and evaporating on contact. The old woman smiled, and her husband had to refrain from frowning.

His wife didn't look the same as she had been when he met her. He was a widow, at a low point in his life after the death of his family. Alcohol had been the only thing he could rely on, and it had drained up all of his money every time he drank up another cup. That's when he had met his current wife, and he had latched onto her. Now that his eyes were clear, no longer clouded in guilt and grief, he could understand that she had taken advantage of his depression. Yet, he knew that he was too weak to fight back. He had only been a strong man at one point in his life, in his previous marriage surrounded by family and love. Now he had neither, he'd have nothing to walk away to.

"Are you sure this is necessary?" He spoke up from across the room. He wanted to stay away from the dangerous concoction his wife was brewing. "You've never been this desperate before..."

"It _is_ necessary." The old woman snapped. "She's been avoiding me at every turn. No, this is necessary for the plan. You just wait, dear. We'll soon have _everything_."

"I'm not sure," He said softly, "I'm just not sure anymore..."

She rolled her eyes, turning her attention back towards the pot. "Everyday she gets stronger, I can feel it. Whatever she's doing with that _fae_ ," She snarled the last word, "It's improving her talents. All it takes is for her to get a little starry eyed, and then she's heartbroken and ours."

"How do you know she'll be heartbroken?"

"Well, it's in their nature to play around and shamelessly flirt. I would know, _you know_. But she's too naive, she'll be crushed. I'm sure of it." Cara said, crushing up a crunchy herb and letting the pieces fall into the pot.

Earl shook his head. This isn't what he wanted when he married her, but he was too far gone now. Now he'd just have to play along. After all, he loved her, didn't he?

* * *

 **Thank you guys for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the labyrinth. 'Tis a pity, too. There probably would have been many sequels...**

 **Reviews:**

 **kellyn1604 - Thank you for your review. Hahah, and that is my intention. Who can you trust...? ;) I would also lean towards the same thing myself. I think almost anyone would.. Heh**

 **Maantje - Awe, thank you! I'm glad this story is a refreshing read! It always makes me happy when someone says that. I try to be original, but I sometimes I include some FanFic cliches without realizing, lol.**

 **ariella21 - Hmmm, curiouser and curiouser! I wonder what will happen... Thank you for the review!**

 **Enchanted Peach Dreams - I believe you shall find out in an upcoming chapter. ;) Thank you!**

 **Honoria Granger - Hmm, she does sound suspicious, doesn't she? I think you're on to something there. I'm glad you caught that. And as for the J/S, I didn't want to make it seem like Sarah was head over heels in love with Jareth at first sight. I didn't want it to be _that_ easy. Thank you for your review! I appreciate it. :)**

 **VeraK - My story really likes you. ;-)**

 **Guest numba 1 - She is coming off a little devious, isn't she? More had been revealed this chapter. And it is sweet. I'm sure that's all Jareth wants, right? Thank you for your review!**

 **Jetredgirl - Awe, thank you! So sweet, lol. :)**

 **LovelyAmberLight - Thanks, pal! :D**

 **starrmommy41 - She did! What's that saying about the first one being in line to meet you is the first one to stab you in the back? A little grim, I think. I also think I destroyed the saying, as well... Oh, well. We'll find out why Cara seemed so suspicious soon! :) Thanks for your review.**

 **Guest #2 - Thank you! Next chapter is up!**

 **LadySoy - Ah, yes. And especially after this recent chapter.**

 **Ebony-Dove - I bet he would! I wish I could pay just to hear a story from him... Thanks for your review!**

 **Random American - Awe, thanks hun. Glad you're enjoying the story!**

 **Ceysna - Yes, I believe she's trying to think it through, but her life is so mixed up into mumbo jumbo that it's difficult to really trust anyone right now. Poor girl. Thanks for your review! Glad you're on the edge of your seat, stay tuned for more, lol.**

 **Aurlia - Hahaha, that's a very cute review! Very sweet, thank you! I didn't update as soon as I thought I would, but I hope you'll see this chapter! :)**

 **As always, I appreciate the reviews so much! It inspires me to really want to write more on my stories. More is revealed this chapter, and soon the story shall reach a turning point. ;) Also, if you're familiar with my very first One-shot 'Goblins Are Not the Same as Gremlins', you should recognize Gus the Goblin. His chocolate addiction is real, guys.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author runs in quickly, throwing papers about.**

 **"Sorry I'm late! You get an update!" Author points at random people, continuing to throw papers about.**

 **"And you get an update!**

 **And You get an update!"**

 **You pick a paper up.**

 **"Oh, and you _certainly_ get an update." You try to ignore the author winking at a very attractive reader.**

 **"You get an update!"**

 **You tune out the author and begin to read.**

 **" _And you get an update_!" The author drones on in the background.**

* * *

"My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father. Prepare to die." Sarah read the lines with fierce conviction in her voice. Her eyes stormy and intense as she added emphasis on all of the right words. This had always been her favorite part of the book. The part where the lost hero finally gets to achieve his lifelong quest.

The most fulfilling scene in her opinion.

Jareth, on the other hand, had been silent up to this point. He usually listened intently, nodding every now and then, asking questions here and there, but at the moment he seemed distant. Gazing off as if his mind was far away. His eyes studied something in the distance, though Sarah was sure that if she waved her hand in front of him, he wouldn't notice.

She put the book down.

"Jareth, is there something wrong?"

"Nothing yet," he deflected the question as he came back to himself.

"You're so… _jaded_." She said frowning. "But seriously, today you've been quieter than usual." Jareth hardly looked at her when she scooted closer to the edge of the clearing.

"The world cannot thrive on naive people, Sarah. There is a reason I have become this way." He smirked, "And to answer your question, I have been rethinking some things."

"What things?" She suddenly regretted scooting closer to him.

"How much time left do you have here?" He asked, but it sounded as if he was trying to make a point.

"You know I don't have much left…"

"-How much?"

Sarah sighed, "Three days."

She never thought she would see the always aloof king before her freeze over, but that's what he did. "And why didn't you tell me time was short?"

"Because I was enjoying the time I had left," Sarah shook her head, her dark hair falling over her shoulders. Jareth's eyes watched the movement. He looked so intense just sitting there, his eyes narrowed in thought. "I was going to tell you... I just didn't want-" Should she say it? Could she dare?

"Want what, Sarah?" And she noticed he was closer.

He was _so_ close. Sarah could see her reflection in his pale eyes. She could see the trees behind her that surrounded her slim body, and if she hadn't been able to see herself, she never would have caught her hand slowly raising in an itch to touch him.

Sarah stopped herself.

"I didn't want you to try to convince me to stay longer." She admitted slowly. _Because I'm sure you could_ , she thought.

"And you assumed I would try to postpone your leaving?" Jareth frowned, and she broke eye contact. She shouldn't have told him. It was foolish. He probably ate young, naive girls like her for breakfast, and he took her for a fool. Sarah never wanted to be the one that fell for such a charming Don Juan. That's not how she was raised.

When she didn't answer, so lost in her own thoughts was she, Jareth placed a gloved hand on her cheek. The pressure was short, but the warmth remained when Sarah broke from her thoughts.

"Then spend more time with me." He said. His hand was now busy stroking the blades of grass beside him.

"What?"

"Continue reading."

Sarah silently picked the book up again, frowned at the title, and placed it back down on her lap. "I can't now," she said, and laughed.

Jareth smirked, "And why is that?"

"Because now I can't focus," she said. Her face was beaming, and she tried desperatley to hide it from him.

"Why can't you focus, Sarah?" Jareth said. When she turned her head, she felt his breath on her skin - on her cheek. He was close again and she felt like she couldn't breathe.

"Because you make me not want to focus." Sarah knew the tone of her voice was heavy. Her face was serious once again. She remembered the saying 'The eyes are the windows to the soul', and she hoped it was true because, at that moment, her eyes must have showed everything. It wasn't fair, it really wasn't, that she was falling asleep at night and waking up with him on her mind. Sarah felt like she was fighting a losing battle, trying constantly to ignore the fact that he was getting under her skin. He was dangerous and-

And he was kissing her.

Green eyes widened in shock, but slowly drifted close as the man ran his soft leather gloves through her hair. This was the closest they had ever been, and Sarah wondered if there were rules about kissing someone who sat on the other side of a fairy ring, but she didn't care. She didn't care because she felt like she could lose herself in this kiss.

Book forgotten in her lap, Sarah raised both arms to lovingly return the kiss. She felt her heart swarm with warmth, and wondered if he felt the same, too. And that was what scared her. If he didn't feel the same then this was all one-sided. That would hurt. But if he _did_ feel the same, what would she be giving up?

What _could_ she give up? Jareth, or her life?

But right now, as he deepened the kiss, she gave up herself. His lips were soft, and obviously an expert at this activity, Sarah acknowledged. Jareth's hands traveled down her back, and her hands were on his chest, then his neck, and then in his hair.

"Sarah," he whispered.

She broke the kiss, feeling suddenly embarrassed and retracting her arms from his body. His hands, however, seemed more hesitant to do the same, and were simply content to stay where they were, adjusting themselves to playing with Sarah's fingers when she shifted to comfortably reach for the book.

"Uhm," she cleared her throat, then laughed at the knowing smirk Jareth gave her, "Where were we again?" Sarah motioned to the pages. It seemed the bookmark had fallen out while they were _busy_. She hoped that she wasn't blushing.

"Come away with me," he said.

"What?" she whispered, looking at his face. His mouth was no longer smiling, set in a grim line, and his eyes were looking at her with powerful, earnest emotion.

"Come away with me."

"Oh, god." she whispered to herself. "Jareth, it's not that I don't appreciate-" She couldn't express how much she sincerely _wanted_ to, but there was too much. Too many questions and too many problems. She had no answers and no solutions.

"You've said that before," he said, his tone somewhat condescending. His fingers tightened, though not intending to cause pain, before they released her. Jareth had moved and given her space. Though, if it was for her comfort, or in his irritation, she was not sure.

"There's just too much to deal with, and it's too short notice." Sarah informed him.

"I see," he said firmly. Something in his eyes changed then. It seemed as if he was confirming an earlier thought, though Sarah was not a mind reader. She had no idea what had changed, but she did know that she didn't want this distance between them. However, he seemed hurt by her rejection, and she allowed him the space.

If he only knew that her rejection hadn't just hurt him.

"Well," he drawled, "Are you going to read?" Jareth motioned towards the book in her lap in a sharp gesture.

"I _was_ ," Sarah frowned at him. "Jareth," her eyes softened, "I wasn't rejecting you. I wasn't trying to hurt you, either. I just can't right now… Don't you understand that?" She gently tried to clarify.

"Yes, yes. You weren't trying to reject me, nor were you trying to cause me pain. I know, Sarah. You didn't." Waving her off, he continued, "Now, read… _Please_." He added after further thought.

"Okay," Sarah relented. Then she adjusted her sitting position so she was a little closer. She wanted to seem open and friendly, but he was still firmly closed off from her. Though, he did not seem as troubled as he had been a minute ago. Glancing at him quickly, she opened the book and began reading from where she thought they had left off. The victorious scene just wasn't as engaging as it had been before.

She hoped she hadn't ruined her chances of the alluring road they had been heading towards.

* * *

"Oh, Sarah!" The old woman called from a ways down the hallway.

"Not now, Cara." Sarah droned, and continued to storm her way towards her room, pulling open her satchel and hurriedly digging for her keys. God, she hoped she hadn't forgotten them in the forest. Going back there with Jareth in such a sour mood would not be fun. It wasn't her fault, she found her thoughts returning to Jareth, it was so short notice. She had a family, for heaven's sake! She had spent her entire life up here, and he wanted her to abandon the world she knew, the comfort and familiarity, for something so _unknown_? Goodness, she had only really known _him_ for weeks.

"Oh, surely you have time? Earl and I were just about to have a nice cup o tea." Cara smiled, and Sarah winced at how wide it was.

"Geeze, I can see her whole mouth from here," Sarah mumbled to herself, jerking her keys out of her satchel. She silently wondered to herself if Jareth's brash actions were a result of her telling him she was leaving so soon.

Is that why he had asked so suddenly?

"What was that?" Cara asked, sweetly. Too sweetly, Sarah thought.

Is there a possibility she would never see him again?

"Can't right now, I have things on my mind." Sarah responded, her eyes far away in thought, shoving the door key into the lock and sharply turning it.

"That's too bad" Cara tried to entice to no avail. Sarah was too consumed in her own thoughts to notice.

Sarah frowned, would that change her answer? If she knew she could never see him again, would she still walk away?

"A nice, warm, creamy cup always makes me feel better, dear." Cara crooned.

"No, sorry. I'm busy." Sarah said, and shut the hotel door behind her, not once glancing back at Cara.

Tonight was going to be a long and thought-provoking night.

The old woman frowned as she was left alone in the hallway. Her lips pouting, causing wrinkles to suddenly appear as deep cracks around her eyes and mouth. "Who turns down a nice cup of tea?" She asked, and retreated to her room.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.**

 **Oh goodness, it's so short, I know... I'll be better next time, I promise.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the labyrinth. *Insert funny joke here about Jareth's pants***

 **I would like to point out a funny review that I got a while back on another story. I couldn't respond to it, but I'd like to share it because it made me laugh, and still continues to. First, they reviewed, " _Damn that riding crop of Jareth's. Giving me dreams I never thought of having before._ " Then later they reviewed again, " _Damn that riding crop again. I am awake and it is giving me indecent dreams. Purr!_ " **

**Hahaha, ohhhh my.**

 **Reviews:**

 **kellyn1604 - Yes, they both want something from her. Hmmmmmm, you're on the right track. Thank you! That's certainly a nice compliment. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **bluebellwoods - Yeah, I always thought Sarah was a bit spoiled, but she means well and has a good head on her shoulders. That's how I'm hoping to portray her, at least. And, yes, poor Earl. I wanted to clarify their relationship now so that in the future certain things make sense. Yay! You created an account! :D Thanks for your reviews!**

 **LovelyAmberLight - That's good that you think that! I want him to remain somewhat of a mystery. He's got his own ideas, after all. ;)**

 **ariella21 - Thank _you_ for reading an reviewing! And he sure is... he sure is, my friend.**

 **Frankit88 - Thank you! Compliments always make me a happy writer, haha.**

 **Annabelle - Don't worry, I'll definitely finish it! Thanks for your review! :)**

 **Guest - Why, I'm right here! I totally haven't been absent from this story for over a month... *Looks around guiltily* Your review was perfectly timed, actually. I've been _so_ busy this past month and I finally had a chunk of time to myself when I received the notification in my email. So, thank you. :) **

**Also, YaY tHeY kIsSeD! And... hmmmm... what did Jareth seem to change his mind about after their _smidge_ of a disagreement?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Woo, 13 chapters, over a hundred reviews, 70+ favorites and more than 150 follows. You guys are amazing. This is what gives me inspiration to continue my stories! Thank you very much!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the labyrinth. *Insert funny joke about how sexy Jareth is***

 **Wait, his sexiness is not funny. It is to be taken seriously. Sorry...**

 **Fo' real. That sexiness, tho.**

 **Please enjoy this next chapter! ;)**

* * *

Sarah had packed up most of her bags, but had left the basic essentials for last minute. She had seen Jareth the day before and was hoping to see him again tonight before she left in the morning, but she was nervous.

Her mind kept traveling back to what he had asked her two days ago. All she could think about was the absolute sincerity in his voice, the worry in his eyes. She had come here for magic, yes, but she hadn't come here to leave her life behind. Maybe this was where her life had been heading all along? But no, she couldn't leave her family. She couldn't just do that, could she? Could she trust him enough to put her life in his hands? If she gave in to him and stayed, he would have all the power. But through these last few days she had found it was increasingly harder to say goodbye to him.

"God, leave it to him to make me doubt my decisions," Sarah whispered to herself, shaking her head. No, she had made her decision...

The sun was already beginning to set, and she had put off seeing him all day. She felt that it would be so hard for her to walk away from him and she didn't want to reason why. But she owed it to him to say goodbye, and she _did_ want to see him one last time.

Sarah gulped.

She hoped it wouldn't be the last time. Maybe they can find some other way to visit? Some way that doesn't take away her power? Perhaps it was possible to stay in touch with him?

Sighing, she decided that now was the time to head out. It wouldn't be wise to prolong their last meeting any longer. She actually wanted to have time to say goodbye, after all.

Sarah headed out, making sure to grab her satchel. It was heavier than usual, but that's because she had crammed it full of presents. Little things that would remind him of their time together. She hoped he would like them. She had never given _him_ a present before, it was always the other way around. Sarah smiled at the memory.

The sun was barely peeking out from the tops of the trees, causing the sky to be covered in vivid streaks of orange, pink and blue-violet. The forest around her was silent and peaceful. Sarah made it to the fairy ring in record time and noted the absence of a particular fae. She sat down and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Finally, the sun was almost completely gone, the sky filled with mostly violet now, and quickly spreading. Sarah could see little stars appearing as twinkling dots. She sighed impatiently, thinking he wasn't going to show up, then she heard a noise. Soft footfalls on the strands of grass alerted her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up with the tell-tale sign of magic in the air.

"You came," she said, without looking.

"I'm just as surprised as you." He said, his voice cold.

Sarah glanced up at him, seeing him standing just a few feet away at the edge of the clearing. His eyes were hard, his mouth had thinned. He was in a lot worse of a mood than he had been yesterday. Was it all because she was leaving? Or was it because she had said no?

"What do you mean?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't think that _you_ would come, Sarah." Jareth replied, and Sarah was struck with an image of him waiting all day for her, impatiently pacing across the field with concern that she'd never return to him.

She frowned, her heart dropping at the thought, and she tried to push it away before it made things harder. "Of course I would come…" she said, standing, "I had to see you."

He said nothing, his eyes noting the satchel that looked as if it had seen better days. Sarah continued at his silence, walking towards him and reaching into the bag. "I brought you some things," she smiled.

"Really?" Jareth said, crossing his arms. He was trying to act aloof, but Sarah saw his eyes briefly glance down in curiosity before flashing back up to her face.

Her hand shuffled around in the bag, then decided on which gift to give him first, and pulled out a porcelain barn owl that was perched on a branch. The artist had painted it realistically and it displayed the beauty of nature almost perfectly. She reached out, and Jareth silently took it in his hands, twisting it around to examine it.

"That was for the first day I saw you. When I got lost and you led me back to the castle." Sarah smiled, and returned her hand to the satchel, already searching for the next gift, "This one is for taunting me everyday, telling me that all the fairy stories I knew were completely untruthful." Sarah pulled out a leather bound book, it had green lettering on it that read _Irish Folktales_. She handed it to him, and he studied the print, opening it with one hand and scanning the pages inside.

"You've written in them," he commented.

"Yeah," she gave a sheepish smile, "It's an old one of mine from when I was a teenager. I'd read it and annotate it on the side. Sometimes I added to the stories if I thought my ideas were better." She shrugged.

He closed the book, snapping it shut with one hand. It disappeared from sight as he did so -along with the porcelain owl. "What else do you have?" Jareth said, still trying to sound reserved, but Sarah could hear the twinge of excitement he was trying to suppress. He peered at the satchel again.

"See? I knew you'd like gifts," she smiled and earned a smirk in response. Jareth was finally starting to warm up to her again. Sarah hadn't expected that his smile would make her happy. "I've got one more after this," she said and pulled out a crystal sphere. This one wasn't quite like the ones that he was familiar with. It was not clear all the way through. Instead, the inside looked as if it had waves of color throughout, resembling the sharpness of a cut crystal, he could hardly see the palm of Sarah's hand on the other side.

"This one is for teaching me some magic -though I wasn't very good at it." She stood closer to him, her skin touching his gloved hand as she softly lay the crystal in his palm.

Sarah slid the satchel off of her shoulder, and it hit the ground with a hollow thud. "And this one," her eyes met his. They were very close now, "This one is to say that I don't regret a second with you. This one is my parting gift." Her voice lowered to a whisper as she leaned closer to reach him. Sarah found herself leaning quite far over the boundary line - which struck a nervous chord through her - but she didn't care. She had to reach his lips.

Her lips touched his in a soft caress, and for a second she thought he wasn't going to respond. She thought he wasn't going to response and stand there coldly, but then he did respond. His lips came alive with a burning passion, sending bolts of electricity through their bodies as they both gave their all.

Sarah didn't want to say goodbye, she really didn't. But he hadn't given her much of a choice. It was her life here - with her family and everything she had ever known - or her life with him - something that was unsure and meant giving up a lot. How could she choose? Maybe he would just be content with visits? Perhaps she could come back to Ireland every time she had a break? Sarah was surprised to find herself considering spending every other moment with this man.

Jareth broke the kiss, instead pressing his lips to every part of her face that he could reach. She closed her eyes at the feeling. His continued to kiss every inch of skin, but never strayed far from her mouth."That is not a parting gift," he breathed in between kissing, his hot breath on her cheek. His voice sounded more determined than she had ever heard it before.

His mouth met hers again, not giving her much more time to wonder at what he had said. Instead, he seemed to focus very much on having Sarah get lost in him. They had never kissed like this before, and her hands reached up to tangle in his hair. At that exact moment, Jareth chose to lean back, his mouth still fully kissing hers, but drawing her back with him.

Sarah was completely unaware that he was leaning back, until her right foot stepped forward with him, putting over half of her body in the fairy ring. She froze in shock as realization shook her mind. Opening her eyes, she could see the victorious look on Jareth's face as he continued kissing her, oblivious that she was now aware. Oblivious that she was watching him as he determinedly drew her back into the clearing. He was trying to pull her into the fairy ring.

He had once said he couldn't _force_ her to enter it; she had to come of her own free will, but that didn't mean that he couldn't convince her. That didn't mean he couldn't find a loophole. As long as her body entered - whether she was aware of what she was doing or not - with free will, he could gladly take her. Even if her mind was unwilling - such as it was at the moment - he would automatically have power over her once more.

She broke the kiss and pulled back so forcefully that she tripped and fell backwards. Luckily, just as she had planned, she landed outside of the fairy ring and in the safe refuge of the forest. She sighed in relief, though she was sure there were going to be some bruises on her backside in the morning.

Sarah glared at him and he responded with a haughty raise of an eyebrow.

Her heart was beating at a mile a minute. So many emotions pounded through her mind. Fear, relief, hurt, anger, lust, sadness, but mostly betrayal. Her pale eyes continued to glower at the imperious fae. "You were trying to pull me in there." She said, her voice hard, trying to cover up the feelings that were overwhelming her. "You were trying to kidnap me, weren't you?" She accused.

"Oh, Sarah. Always so dramatic." He said, crossed his arms, looking much more like the king he is.

The Goblin King.

She must have forgotten somewhere along the way that he was not like any other man. He wasn't human, he was a king in another world. He was a ruler of goblins. Goblins were known for being mischievous, and so were fae.

"That's why you wanted me to enter the field, isn't it? Admit it, you were going to steal me away and do God knows what." Her harsh tone couldn't mask the feelings of betrayal, try as she might. Every other word broke in a covered up sob. Sarah begged her eyes to stop watering. He had just ruined their goodbye.

"Sarah," he warned, irritation lacing his voice. He peered down at her as if she was a child. As if he didn't see the wrong in what he had tried to do.

She couldn't handle it. Sarah knew his next words would be condescending at best. "-No, forget it. I felt it." Standing, the young woman wiped her eyes hurriedly, trying not to show much more emotion than she already had. "I've read up about fairy rings since I've been here. If I stepped in there, you'd have every right to spirit me away." It was a scary thought -being kidnapped. Would he ever let her return? Would their friendship turn bitter with resentment? She knew it would if he gained all power over her - refusing to relinquish it and set her free. If she could never see her family again it would break her. How could he not understand that? After everything she had fought for in the labyrinth, how could he not see how important they were to her?

Jareth's eyes hardened, narrowing coldly at her's. She stood up, hating how he was looking down at her, in the literal and figurative sense.

"Perhaps I would've Sarah." Jareth snarled, his eyes gleaming. "Perhaps I am the monster that whisks innocent girls away. Perhaps I am the two dimensional villain that has no other motive besides locking the girl up and leaving her to _rot_." He spat. Jareth looked genuinely angry. She could almost feel his blood boiling and heat radiating off of him. Yet, despite his stinging temper, his face remained cold. The only emotion that would fall through the cracks of his mask was bitterness.

Sarah shook her head at him, sniffing loudly, and realized that she was on the verge of tears. She knew that if she stayed longer she'd be crying, and it wouldn't be the pretty kind, either. Hopefully she could hold herself together for just a while longer. Just long enough to get out of his sight so he wouldn't see her.

Sarah sniffed again, and felt a tear roll down her cheek. She brushed it away quickly, trying to not drag attention to it. If she waited any longer she wouldn't last. The sun was completely hidden behind the horizon, and only streams of moonlight made each other visible. Still, despite the oncoming darkness, she did not want to cry in front of him.

Sarah needed to leave, she needed to get away to think.

She didn't respond to his last statement, instead she gathered her bag and looked back at him with the most emotionless face she could muster. "Goodbye, Jareth," she said, her voice no longer masking the hurt. He flinched at the tone, but covered it up by impassively adjusting his gloves. Jareth did not look back up at her until she looked away.

With that, Sarah turned her back on him, following the trail that she had become an expert at navigating back to the hotel. She felt his eyes burning into her back as she went, but she refused to turn around at look at the harsh glare she was sure that he sported.

No doubt she had ruined his chance at revenge.

* * *

Sarah was full-on crying by the time she made it to the hotel. There were too many emotions that had been circling in her mind for so long, the only way she knew how to get them out was to openly sob.

Her realization that she actually cared for the fae had blown her mind, then overwhelming affection had overtaken her feelings towards him when they kissed. It had slowly developed into a deeper relationship - and now it was all gone. Now the trust was down the drain. He had tried to force her into going back with him - though she had made it clear that she was unsure of his intentions or of the idea. He had to have it his way.

And now she felt heartbroken. She hadn't thought she would feel this bad if it were to end, but she did. Sarah had never had a relationship long enough to experience heartbreak - she had never known love before - but now she did. Now she did and she never wanted to feel like this again.

What would her family think when she returned from Ireland with a broken heart? Karen didn't even know that Sarah had fallen so hard for this 'mysterious foreign man'. Sarah snorted. Toby likely wouldn't care. He'd probably wrinkle his nose in disgust and tell her that girls had cooties. Her father would no doubt threaten the man who had done this, telling Sarah that he'd fly straight to Ireland and beat him up for breaking his daughter's heart, but in reality he'd just sit there and not know how to comfort her. _Probably just give me an awkward hug and a pat on the shoulder_ , Sarah thought. All bark and no bite.

She missed her family dearly, and was suddenly more determined to get home. Her flight was early in the morning, and she was so thankful that she had made the right choice and decided not to miss it. She'd probably never come back to Ireland again. It was too dangerous...

Maybe she would... When she was older.

She returned to her room, not even bothering to shut the door behind her as she hurriedly packed her bags. Sarah wasn't even sure if she was packing her stuff or the hotel's stuff. She didn't care. Blindly, she continued to throw random things in the suitcase, leaving her room to look as if a hurricane had rolled through it by the time she was done. So much for making Gus clean it, she mused, then frowned at the memory.

When her hands picked up the first book Jareth had given her, she let out a full-blown sob, and carefully set it into her suitcase. How could he do that to her? How could he just betray her trust so quickly? She had made it clear what she wanted and he had been so ready to pull the rug out from beneath her and take away all her options. He had only thought of himself.

But why did it feel like she was leaving _so_ much behind? She sniffed, then rubbed at her tear streaked cheeks.

"Oh, dear." Cara's voice said from behind her.

That's when Sarah remembered she hadn't shut the door, but it was okay, she felt like she needed someone to vent to. Sarah wiped her eyes, peering up at the older woman.

"Come 'ere, child," Cara said, gently grabbing Sarah by the wrist and pulling her into a hug. "Who needs those dirty rotten fae men, anyways?" Cara said, trying to cheer Sarah up.

"How'd you know?" Sarah asked.

"'Cause they're nothing but trouble." Cara replied. Sarah didn't ask if she was referring to men or fae.

"Sorry," Sarah said, pulling away, "I've just been so overwhelmed."

"Oh, it's nothing, dear!" Cara waved her off, "Now come in and have a nice cup of tea. You can talk all about it with me. It'll make you feel better." She said, and Sarah nodded.

She needed someone to finally vent to, someone that she could tell _everything_ to, even if it was Cara.

* * *

 **I promise this will be a happy ending. Just bear with the couple in this hard time in their lives.**

 **Thank you guys for the support while I've been writing this story. As I have always said, the reviews, follows and favorite make me the happiest author in the world. :)**

 **Also, the story should be ending soon. I'm estimating around 2-3 chapters. But don't worry, I'm wrapping this up quick - don't worry, I'm not _rushing_ it - so I can start writing my next story. I'm super excited. I'll post the first chapter when this story is completed, so keep a lookout for that! **

**Enough about me -onward to the reviews!**

 **Reviews:**

 **pamcakes8 - Haha, glad that made you laugh! And you're welcome. Thank _you_ for reviewing!**

 **Enchanted Peach Dreams - Ah yes, but it is equally hard to leave behind unconditional love that's stable, such as a family. You may not like this chapter then. ;) But trust me, there will be a happy ending. Thanks for your thoughts! :D**

 **starrmommy41 - I did better, see? This chapter was longer! Are you proud of me? Also, there was a kiss in this chapter too! Yay! I'd make him beg and then run away with him, but, well that's just me... ;)**

 **Ebony-Dove - Awe, thanks! And yes, Jareth's phrase "Come away with me" was a reference to that poem. I thought it'd add a little eeriness yet romance to him. Thanks for your review!**

 **kellyn1604 - You need more of the kissing? I shall give you more of the kissing! The plots will all be revealed soon. Jareth's was partially revealed in this chapter. :)**

 **bluebellwoods - Yay! I made you have butterflies? Yay! And you were correct in your assumption. Jareth's mysterious plans for Sarah were looking jeopardized, causing him to react in the way he did in _this_ chapter. Nervous Jareth will always go to extreme lengths, as seen in the movie. Thanks for your review, bluebellwoods!**

 **Midnight - I know that feel. I'm addicted to a story that hasn't been updated since the beginning of the year. I'm dying out of curiosity, too. But it's not like I can go on some witch hunt and track down the author and force them to update... can I? Actually, can I do that? Hmmmm... I appreciate the review! Thank you! ;)**

 **Guest - Yay! Thanks for calling my story wonderful! :) And thank you for your review!**

 **sammij1821 - Oh, wow. That kind of makes me feel good that you chose my story over sleep. Not that I encourage not sleeping... But thanks! I have to track down complete stories, too. I understand completely! XD**

 **saxophobe - Thank you! Here is more! :D)**

 **Alice - Awe, it made your week better? I didn't know that my stories could do that. Haha, thank you for your review. Here's more!**

 **annibale - Here is the next chapter. Somewhat of a cliffhanger, sorry. Maybe she will say her right words... A LOT will be revealed in the next couple chapters! Especially with the witch, Cara. Thanks for your review! :)**


	14. Chapter 14

Cara didn't miss a beat. As soon as Sarah had affirmed she would like to talk, she found herself being whisked away from her messy hotel room and pulled into Cara's without a word.

Sarah glanced around the room through blurry eyes as the older woman hurriedly ushered her to sit. Her mouth tugged up in a humorous smirk when she realized that their rooms were complete opposites. Cara's room was completely neat and ready for company, and Sarah's room looked as if a tornado had blown through it.

As she continued examining the space with a now grim expression, she briefly noticed Earl lingering in the corner with an odd solemn expression on his face. Perhaps he felt pity for her, seeing her tear stained and flushed face, or maybe he felt guilty for judging her so harshly? He jerkily ducked his head, avoiding Sarah's studying gaze. What a strange movement from an older man that always seemed so merry and confident, Sarah thought. She turned back to Cara, deciding that whatever was going on with Earl was not relevant to the moment.

Cara already had a steaming pot of tea prepared for them. She pressed a lukewarm cup into Sarah's hands, then retracted her frail fingers and gave Sarah a kind smile. This time, no wrinkles showed around the witch's eyes. Her smile vanished, and she moved to sit across from Sarah, motioning for Sarah to drink.

Sarah's cup had no steam arising from it, suggesting that it may have been sitting out for a while. Perhaps Cara had put a cooling spell on it so it wouldn't burn their tongues? She hesitantly took a small sip from the cup, knowing she had never been a big fan of tea, but she thought it would have been rude to deny it. Cara was only trying to help her, after all.

She felt, rather than saw, Earl come up behind her. Sarah noticed Cara's eyes flicker up to his before landing back on the cup that had been pressed into Sarah's hands. She took another sip of the dull yellow colored tea.

"Now, dear. Tell me what happened." Cara said softly.

Sarah tried to swallow back the bitter taste reminiscent of almonds. She nodded, watching as Cara took a sip from her steaming cup, as well.

"It's a long story," Sarah warned.

"We've got time."

So Sarah told her. She told them all about what had happened at the fairy ring. She recounted how she had stumbled upon it, how she had come to befriend the fae there, how they had began to meet almost daily, and how she had let herself fall for him. A couple times she felt his name at the tip of her tongue, but she refused to say it, some part of her feeling it would be telling too much. Sarah didn't even tell Cara that he had been the Goblin King, instead, only mentioning that he was just some fae. Words had power, after all. She assumed a name was no different.

By the time she had finished telling her story she was shocked to see that her cup had been completely drained. It hadn't tasted very good, but it gave her something to do when Cara would interrupt her story to ask more questions. Sarah sat back with a sigh, her mind suddenly over-stimulated from the long night of talking. All she had wanted to do when she had returned from the fairy ring was sleep, but she had been kept up much longer and as a result she felt very fatigued.

In fact, she didn't want to move at all from her spot.

"I can see your tired, dear." Cara noticed. The older woman snapped her fingers at her husband. Sarah heard movement and a blanket came from behind her where Earl was still standing. He placed it on her gently and stood back to give her space once again. Warmth enveloped her and she halfheartedly wrapped the soft fabric around herself. She was too tired to argue so instead she said nothing. Her eyes began to prickle and drift open and closed.

"You have had a night. Sleep dear." Cara crooned from her spot across from her.

Sarah obeyed.

* * *

She saw flashes.

Images of pure white fluttering in the wind. A dove or a flower. There was hardly no difference. They both represented purity.

She saw a familiar face. One that warmed her heart. High pale cheekbones and commanding eyes. Thin lips were pulled up in a smirk. This person seemed haughty, someone she felt like she would never get along with, but instead she unexpectedly reached towards him. Her stomach fluttering as his cold features softened in response. He wore white, as well.

Owl feathers, her mind told her.

The next second he was gone, and with him the memory was, too. The comfort he brought her was missing as well.

Dingy yellow took the place of white.

Dull colored tea that tasted bitter. A crow landed near her, it's head cocking as it's eyes studied her. The pupils dilated and she frowned. A ring of dingy yellow surrounding black. Then the yellow met red and Sarah gasped at the animals changing eyes. She pulled away just as a shadow fell over her.

She looked up and saw her friend Cara. The old woman's features were toned down and if Sarah stared too long they would blur. The only thing that stood out was her dark-orange colored ring. Sarah stared at the only clear object, the sharp cuts of the gem glinting in light, though where the light came from, Sarah did not know. She felt an uneasy feeling pool in the pit of her stomach.

Sarah pulled away once again, except this time the only color she met with was the absence of color.

Black.

* * *

She drifted in-between consciousness and dreams. Her eyebrows furrowed at the feeling of a warm body holding her. It wasn't comfortable. Their hands were clumsy, tightening too much at certain times and then sometimes going slack, catching her before she was completely released.

Her bare feet felt blades of grass. Sarah's throat felt dry, she closed her mouth and inhaled through her nose. She could smell the forest. The next thing she noticed was heavy footsteps, meaning the person carrying her must be bigger than her, for she was generally quieter when venturing through the forest.

Sarah tried to move but her arms felt numb. The hands tightened and she cried out. She heard a male voice cuss and then the hands slackened again, though not as much as before. He was holding her by her armpits, but wrapped one arm around her waist when she tried to move again. Her feet were dragging now.

She opened her eyes and saw the forest. It was a familiar sight, one that she had been seeing every day for weeks now. The man holding her grunted as he stepped over a large rock in the pathway. Her pale eyes looked up, glazed but examining him with recognition.

"Earl?" She asked, her voice was rough and disoriented.

Her body was limp and refused to listen to her when she tried to snake her way out of his grip. Sarah frowned when his hold on her became more guarded. She continued to look at him. "What are you doing?" Her voice came out weak and reminded her of herself when she was only ten years old. Little. Helpless.

But she wasn't helpless, was she? Was that the kind of person she was?

Sarah glanced down at the ground, noting her feet that were numbly dragging. She tried to straighten herself, but she was too weak and his hold on her was too strong. Her body was limp and felt useless. She remembered the book she had read to Jareth the other day. She remembered the scene when Westley had been taken hostage and tortured by 'the Machine'. 'The Machine' was used to suck someone's life from their bodies, and as he lay dying and trapped in his own body, the only thing keeping him there was his love for Buttercup.

Had someone sucked the life from her? She pondered that idea for a bit. It certainly seemed like it. Her mind moved on...

Sarah's brain whirled between lucid and muddled thoughts. Running the labyrinth when she was a teenager and meeting Jareth in the Fairy Ring. The connection was Jareth, she thought briefly, trying to make sense of where her thoughts were taking her. The connection was Jareth, yet when she ran the labyrinth the important thing was Toby, but when she visited the fairy ring the important thing was Jareth. But why was she visiting Jareth? Toby?

Toby.

Toby… Was she trying to save him again?

No, he was safe in the states. She was here alone in Ireland. Well, not completely alone, she thought, glancing back at Earl. Sarah had come to search for magic, she remembered that now. She found magic - she found Jareth. She no longer needed to save Toby, he was safe. So why didn't she trust Jareth? It all seemed so confusing. She read a book with him, her favorite book, of course she trusted him. In fact, she loved him. Why did she think she didn't trust him?

Then she remembered. She remembered everything. He had tried to pull her in the Fairy Ring, she had felt betrayed, sought Cara's advice, she drank tea and told Cara everything, and she fell asleep on her couch.

 _I love him_ , she repeated in her mind. Now everything she had been arguing against with him seemed so absurd. Why was she fighting so hard when she loved him?

 _Because you are afraid_ , a voice told her.

 _I'm always afraid_ , she responded.

Jareth.

She snapped back to the present like someone had poured freezing water on her, realizing how jumbled her thoughts had been. The arm around her tightened again. Something scraped against the skin of her feet. Whatever had poisoned her mind seemed to be wearing off. The fog in her brain was dissipating and clarity was taking its place. She was in a forest and someone was carrying her. That much she had known for a while, but now the real danger of the situation was setting in.

"Earl?" Sarah asked, her voice was shaking with worry, but she was glad to hear the lucidness return to it. "What are you doing?" She asked. Trying to pry her arms from him was not working, she quickly found. He was very strong. She tried again, jerking her body, but to no avail.

His arm joined the other one and wrapped itself around her waist. He didn't answer, instead he continued to march towards the center of the forest.

She knew where he was going. She recognized this trail. Earl was going to the fairy ring, and he was taking her with him. He was going to throw her in there, what other explanation would there be for this?

She struggled, her body finally starting to warm up and listen to her mind. He tightened his grip, but her struggles didn't seem to sway him anymore than that. Sarah brought her elbow back into his round stomach. He grunted, but ignored it. She tried to kick, but her body was still weak. It was still devoid of strength and useless at the moment. She'd have to find some other way to fight back, but she had nothing. They had changed her clothes into a simple white silk dressing gown. Her shoes were gone and her hair flowed freely. Her clothes were gone. She had nothing.

A hopeless tear slipped down her cheek as she saw the clearing near before them. It was lit up with a few torches and she could see the outline of a hunched over woman in it. The woman appeared to be doing something, a ritual of some sort.

Magic.

Sarah's eyes widened. Magic. That was it! She had nothing to fight back with except magic. Then disappointment and a stab of fear pooled within her as she realized she had been taught no self defense spells. Jareth and Cara had only taught her simple things, like moving plants.

Like the flower pot she had moved...

 _Of course_ , she thought, disappointed the idea hadn't come to her sooner. Apparently her mind was still a little muddled. She was in a forest for heaven's sake! She felt relief fill her. If she could move a flower pot, she could move something else.

Her green eyes sought out an object that she could use, narrowing on a rock ahead of them that they were slowly approaching. The same rock that she would use as a seat when she first started coming to the fairy ring to read.

Setting her energy on it, Sarah found she was barely able move it. The rock shook, slightly tilting to the side a bit but hesitating to go further. The rock seemed as if it was alive, making a decision as whether it should listen to her or stay put. It reminded her of when she had traversed the labyrinth.

 _Sure, rocks friends._ The memory of her friend's voice echoed in her mind. Sarah smiled at the image of Ludo.

 _Rocks friends_ , she thought.

This thought seemed to give her a bit more energy, though the rock was heavy and her mind was still full of exhaustion, she prodded it a bit more and as a result it tilted again, but went no further. She needed to get closer.

As they neared it, she pushed from her mind. She could feel a barrier in her head, an imaginary one, of course, but it was supposedly the limit her magic could handle. She didn't want to break it, she wasn't powerful enough. She pushed again with strong force, she felt the barrier waver and the rock seemed to shudder, finally making a decision and tumbled down the slight incline into the trail. It rolled unexpectedly in front of them, obeying Sarah, and stopped before her captor's feet. Earl stumbled, but still he did not fall or release her.

Sarah growled in frustration, trying to fight out of his grasp, once again.

"Let go, Earl." Sarah warned, "I'll do something worse." It was an empty threat, but the conviction in her voice hid the truth.

He looked down at her with pity, and she saw sorrow in his eyes. She felt no sympathy for him, even if he regretted what he was doing. Everyone had choices, after all.

"Let go," She warned again.

The energy in her mind sought out another object. It felt as if everything had lit up in technicolor, the magic in her mind lighting up the objects that could easily be manipulated with her amateur level in magic. Her eyes flickered to an overhanging branch right above the fairy ring. It was hanging by a thread and she could snap it when they passed under it. The only problem was how close it was to the perimeter of the ring. It was right above the invisible line, and if she waited too long it would be too late. She had to time it's falling perfectly.

Her eyes narrowed on the branch. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest, her blood rushing through her so fast she could practically hear it. Her breathing was deep and focused. As Earl's foot stepped under the branch, a voice in Sarah's mind screamed ' _Now_ ' and she forced her energy from her.

The branched snapped loudly, or perhaps it was something in her mind. The energy had rushed out so quickly that a searing pain replaced it. She cried out, her voice sounding as rough as her throat was dry. Earl yelled as the branch fell from the tree, directing itself straight towards his head. His heavy body shoved hers from him, causing her to stumble, as he crashed to the ground along with the branch.

Sarah fell, too, at the hard push he had given her.

She grunted and felt the ground sharply return the favor by scraping her hands and knees. Suddenly feeling lightheaded, she tried to pull herself up. Her body was still weak and protested greatly. Nausea made itself known, along with the feeling of her blood boiling in her mind. Perhaps she had miscalculated how much magic she was supposed to use. Using too much, Jareth had once warned her, is especially hard on the body of a beginner.

Sarah didn't let that thought linger long, pulling herself up instead. She noted the tall grass surrounding her and looked back at Earl's unconscious form. He lay a few feet across from her, a heavy branch on top of his body. Sarah fell to her knees again at the site, dry heaving into the tall grass.

It wasn't the sight of him that made her sick. He would be okay and probably come to in a while. Rather, it was the sight of where his body was that resulted in Sarah's heavy tears and pure adrenaline rush.

His body was in the forest, a few feet away from her, on the other side of the fairy ring.

* * *

 **Wow, the last chapter certainly received a lot of feedback. Thank you guys so much.** **I hope you enjoyed this chapter! We're finally getting to the climax of the story, so stay tuned! As always, _I do not own Labyrinth_. Also, warning, below is a copious amounts of replies to reviews that could be annoying if you're just trying to get to the bottom of the page. They can also give hints/subtle spoilers if you read into them too much.**

 **_If you don't want to read the review replies, turn back. Turn back before it's too late._**

 **Reviews:**

 **Jetredgirl - Thank you for your review! I appreciate it a lot. :)You already know that I like your stories, lol.**

 **kellyn1604 - Hahahahahahaha. Your entire review sounds like me when I'm reading every labyrinth story ever. You're welcome for the kissing. I promise that won't be the last of it.**

 **3Silmarillion - Awe, that's so sweet. I know it's been over a month, hope you guys haven't forgotten about me, lol. I promise updates will be coming more regularly! Thank you. :)**

 **Dekejis - Oh, no. Don't die, then you won't see how it turns out. (Sorry for my little kid sense of humor) Thank you for your review!**

 **friendrat - Hmmm, you may be on to something there. We'll have to see how this plays out, won't we? Don't worry, even though I'm the writer, I'm along for the ride just as much as you are. Who knows what they'll be doing next? Thanks for reading and reviewing.**

 **lisabit - If only Sarah had you around during this chapter, lol. Here's more, I hope you enjoyed this one. :)**

 **annibale - Very good guess. Very very very good. Heh heh heh, you'll have to see. Who knows what I have up my sleeve? O.o**

 **Enchanted Peach Dreams - You're very right. Sarah needs to figure that out but also create a romance off of a trustworthy foundation. Don't worry, that final leap of faith isn't too far in the future for her. Thanks for reviewing, glad you enjoyed the last chapter!**

 **sammij1821 - Hahaha, awe. Your review made me laugh and flattered. And yes, they do. It's a common theme in life, I believe, or at least in mine. Hahah, I'm not sure if I would like to know the couple that you're talking about, but I've definitely seen quite a few in my life like that, too. Thank you so much for your review!**

 **Alice - You are too sweet! Thank you for another review! Hope this chapter makes your night again. ;)**

 **ariella21 - You're completely on track, as you'll see in this update, lol. Thanks for your review!**

 **find your North Star - Thank you for reviewing! And yes, poor Jareth, but that won't be the last we'll see of him. After reading this chapter I'd be saying Poor Sarah!**

 **Guest numba 1 - Here is more! Sorry for the long time in-between updates! The story has been haunting me everyday for the past month saying _Update me. Update me now_. I finally gave in. Thank you for your review. I try to get Jareth's facial expressions on point, lol. I just imagine what David Bowie would do and I'm halfway there. ;)**

 **tessamartin1 - Hahaha. A lot has happened in 4 chapters, hasn't it? And here we are now, who knows where the story will be in another 4 chapters? Hopefully the conclusion, lol. Thank you for the review!**

 **starrmommy41 - Very sneaky, indeed. That sneaky weasel. I think our hopes towards Cara are the same, lol. Thank you!**

 **bluebellwoods - I very much believe Jareth is smitten with Sarah. Quite smitten. We'll have to see for ourselves in the next chapters, though. Just to be sure. Glad my story is consuming your thoughts (I mean that in a less creepy way). Glad you're enjoying it! Thank you for reviewing!**

 **Princess of the Fae - Aweee :( *Hands you tissue* Cheer up, doll, our favorite characters should be happy soon. I hope...**

 **Guest numba 2 - Thank you very much! Always makes someone happy when they're told a reader is hooked on their story!**

 **kittyspike08536 - God, when I read your review I yelled Hallelujah! You hit the nail on the head, love it. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you!**

 **Guest # 3 - Sorry I kept you waiting for a month... :,( But I tried to make up for it by working hard on this chapter. Will you forgive me?**

 **Ebony-Dove - Yay! When you said my story had a fairytale feel to it, it made me so happy. Thank you very much, I hope you will like this chapter. :))**

 **Random American - It's alright. If I were Sarah I'd already be ruling the Goblin Kingdom. Well, maybe not, but ideally, yes. Thanks for your review! 3**

 **Lyn79 - Thank you! And hmmm, yes we shall have to see...**


	15. Chapter 15

She was in the fairy ring.

Oh, God. She was _in_ the fairy ring.

Sarah covered her mouth her her hands, trying to prevent the sound of her hyperventilating from traveling far and alerting anyone else that might have bad intentions as well. Her watering eyes couldn't break from the sight of Earl's crumpled body beneath the heavy branch. His face was unable to be seen, buried in the dirt of the forest, and his chest showed no visible movement that would indicate he was breathing. She tried to console herself with the fact that he had assisted in poisoning her, but her breathes still came in heavy desperate gasps, though she hardly felt any air entering her lungs.

Sarah tried to calm herself, gazing around and muffling her breathing with her hand. The fairy ring was silent, too silent. The forest was supposed to come alive at night, but it seemed as if not another life existed for miles. The long strands of grass brushed against her bare feet, tickling her skin. The trees swayed and created a hushing noise. A blanket of stars lay out like a map before her, filling the scene everywhere where the greenery wasn't.

That's when Sarah saw it. Stretched across the clearing was a lone figure, too dark to tell the identity of, and it's back was faced towards her, making strange movements it seemed, but it was too dark to tell. The sight tore fear into Sarah's stomach, her heart skipped a beat, and every sense in her body told her to back away slowly. Her mind was still hazy, her eyesight was not yet smooth, and her movements were clumsy and unsteady. She slowly brought a foot back towards the edge of the fairy ring.

The shadowy figure hadn't noticed her, instead it was focused on an object before it. Sarah tried to strain her eyes, noting that the movements of the shadow were somewhat feminine. The figure brought its hands up in a wide gesture. A gasp escaped Sarah's mouth. The figure froze. A crow cawed somewhere in the distance.

A storm of curse words lay on the tip of Sarah's tongue, but she refused to utter them, at least her mind was clear enough to know how stupid that would be.

As quiet as ever, Sarah brought her other foot back. She tensed at the sound of the grass swaying against her skin. Sarah turned her head away from the frozen figure, gazing back at the forest in longing. Again, she moved a step backwards, goosebumps promptly lined her flesh.

A step backwards, she squeezed her eyes shut.

Another step. Her ears burned.

She peeked at the edge of the clearing - almost there - her heart swelled. Her foot raised to take another step and immediately froze.

"Now, now, dearie." A voice said, a familiar tone of an overprotective mother, "Hit and runs are _not_ very nice." It finished, referring to the slack body of the man just a few feet away from Sarah.

Sarah tried to move, tried to forcefully bring her foot down, but couldn't seem to make her body comply. She knew she shouldn't be able to balance on one foot this well, especially with her eyes closed, and she knew she _should_ be able to move her own body.

Sarah opened her eyes, noting it was the only part of her body she _could_ control, and looked upon the familiar face of Cara. She tried to scowl.

Cara stood before her, wearing long, heavy black robes, lined with a beautiful dark orange that matched the gaudy ring that gleamed innocently on her very long, bony hands.

"Come, child. Help me." Cara said calmly, ignoring the internal frantic struggles in Sarah's mind. She turned, her cloak swaying behind her theatrically, and began to walk towards the center of the clearing. Sarah gasped as her legs moved to follow. Her body silently obeying, but her cheeks were streaked with tears, puffy and red.

It was then that Sarah discovered she could still speak.

"What are you doing, Cara?" She grunted, trying to fight the spell overtaking her body.

"Nothing, yet." Cara chimed. She led Sarah to the center of the clearing. It was lined with torches, and a cauldron, which is what Sarah suspected she had seen Cara interacting with earlier.

Sarah's feet paused in the middle of the torches. The fire flickered, shadows dancing all around her. She swore that she could see lithe figures dancing in the flames if she stared long enough. She tore her eyes away.

"How are you doing this?" Sarah asked.

"The mind-meld. Though we did not complete it, it was able to give me a bit of power over you. Especially since your mind was weakened from the poison." Cara offered the information with no hesitation, busying herself with the cauldron before her.

Her pale, bony hands spread out above it. Cara began to speak. A language Sarah couldn't interpret, but it sounded old. Her voice changed, where it was once harsh with age and possible smoke damage, it lifted in a soft, young lilt. If Sarah didn't know better, she'd assume Cara was twenty again if she wasn't looking at Cara. The shadows still outlined the witch's wrinkles.

Her voice grew louder, a sorrowful longing carrying her voice. It transformed from a few rehearsed lines into a powerful chant, and the forest changed, too.

A humming noise overtook the field, shook the trees, and charged Sarah's heart with a sense of something powerful and otherworldly.

"Cara, stop." Sarah said.

The witch continued, her voice leading the chaos. The humming met the volume of Cara's voice, then continued growing in power. It roared in their ears from all directions.

Sarah's hair whipped around her, but she felt no wind.

"Cara! _Stop_ ," she shouted, but the humming overpowered her voice.

Tears rolled helplessly down Sarah's pale face. The humming took on a different tone, it was calling her. Calling _them_ , and Sarah gasped as she felt her heart swell with longing for it. She wasn't sure what _it_ was, but at that moment she was no longer a slave to her body, but a slave to the fairy ring.

Cara smiled wickedly, her eyes gleaming in joy.

Sarah was smiling too, but her eyes continued to fill with tears. For a moment, she couldn't remember _why_ she was crying in the first place, unable to resist the call of the ancient magic. Infact she couldn't remember why she was here in the first place, or the dangers this place held. All she wanted to do was share this moment. Share this moment with someone she cared for.

 _Jareth_.

Her mind called out.

The roar of the humming was joined with Cara's chanting and Sarah's body wanting to move, to dance. It was something that felt right, though she couldn't move. She frowned at this realization. Why can't she move?

 _Because you don't have a dance partner_ , her mind told her.

 _Jareth_. She thought again.

"Jareth," she said, her voice so quiet and yet it stood out against the roar of the music - the humming - "I need you."

Something compelled her to say it again, something from deep within her that she couldn't understand. A pain, a longing for something other than the magic, a want for a savior, "Jareth, I need you," she shouted into the storm of sound.

Then the humming shrieked, angry at her protests. Cara was no longer smiling, instead she was glaring at her with such ferocity it looked as if she wanted to place her hands around Sarah's neck and strangle her.

Sarah remembered, the poison and magic finally filtered out of her mind, and she saw everything with a sober mind.

"Cara", she called, able to finally take back some control of her body, she took a step forward. She hoped Cara hadn't noticed how much effort that tiny step took.

"You have no power over me," She said, her voice steady.

Cara shouting, her face wrenching into the evilest scowl Sarah had ever seen. The humming chilled at the sound, slowly fading. The spell had no power over her anymore.

Sarah's body went limp and her knees buckled. She fell to the grass with a loud thud.

"You foolish child," Cara growled, and determinedly walked before Sarah, towering over her with menace. Sarah did not shrink back. "You have ruined everything. Now yo-"

" **I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you.** "

Sarah gasped.

Cara's eyes widened at the sight of the Goblin King standing behind Sarah, decked in menacing armor and an avenging glint in his eyes.

"No, it's not possible," she gasped, turning towards Sarah, "It's not possible you know him."

"I beg your pardon," Sarah scowled.

"You've been playing with things you know nothing about, witch." Jareth spat, stepping forward. A crystal came into existence at a sudden twist of his gloved hand, glinting in the light of the torches.

"On the contrary, Jareth, I know exactly what I'm getting into." Cara snarled, regaining her balance.

Jareth froze at the sound of his name. Very few knew it, so how…? He smirked, a chime of remembrance connecting the dots in his head.

"My, my, you've let yourself go, Cathleen," he tsked.

Sarah used the momentary distraction to slowly drag herself out from in between them, surprised to see that they hadn't noticed.

"I need the girl, Jareth." Cara ignored the comment.

"Not this girl." The crystal he held seemed to gleam in anticipation. "Find another." He warned.

"There is no other. None possess the potential magic like her. She is the only one that has survived the ritual thus long."

"You will never be able to return, Cathleen." Jareth said without sympathy, "You are no longer fae, you gave that up to disobey our laws."

"Being here for thousands of years was punishment enough," Cara roared back, "Slowly aging, but not fast enough to ignore the ache in my bones, all while being in a magicless land with mortals that possess no imagination. It's enough to want to take my own life, but I can't even do that." She growled.

"Well, this I can relieve you of," a feral smile spread across Jareth's face. He deftly threw the crystal at the older woman and she shrieked in fear.

Sarah watched the scene before her in fascination, yet pure terror as Cara seemed to gather magic out of nowhere and threw it at Jareth.

"No," Sarah shouted, jumping up to defend him, but it was no use, her legs refused to be anything but jello.

Jareth absorbed the impact, and seemed to hiss back at the witch - no, former fae. "And where did you learn that little trick, miscreant?" He said between clenched teeth.

"I saved up," Cara supplied. She summoned another orb of magic, not solid like Jareth's crystals, but powerful.

"Regardless, it is a done battle." He said, "You are already dying."

The crystal, Sarah remembered, the crystal that he had flung at her had made impact. At the time Sarah thought it had done nothing, but now she could see the veins on Cara's wrinkled face outline his pale skin with black spreading lines.

"Then your girl will go with me," Cara said, throwing the orb in Sarah's direction.

Sarah froze in fear, but the fight or flight reflexes kicked in and by heaven's grace she was able to roll out of the way just in time. The orb hit the grass where she had been and turned it a deep, ugly brown.

Cara prepared for another orb, but cried out in pain as fire seemed to envelope her robes. Jareth growled and tossed more magic at her, blistering her skin.

The witch shouted, but prepared one last orb, aiming straight at Jareth. This orb pulsed with a deep, dark orange, and Sarah realised she had come to dislike that color greatly. The magic looked dangerous, and should not be harnessed by anyone unless they had a death wish. Black magic, Sarah remembered from her magic lessons. It was dark, evil and only intended for death.

The movements of those around her slowed. Sarah watched as Jareth summoned another crystal, watched as Cara set her aim on him. She felt herself, on impulse, slide closer to Cara at an alarming speed, her leg kicked out with a target towards Cara's kneecap.

Her kick unbalanced the old woman for just a second, causing her to stumble and break her concentration. Cara's eyes narrowed on Sarah instead of Jareth, which is what Sarah had hoped for in the first place. The witch pulled back her arm and readied herself to drop the orb on Sarah, a vengeful grin of victory on the old woman's face, now showing her true age as wrinkles grew and her skin stretched. Black veins erased any history of youth as they spread across every inch of skin.

Time around Sarah was still in slow-motion as Cara released the orb of magic, allowing gravity to take its course straight towards Sarah's torso. Sarah's green eyes met Cara's, now seeing the centuries of wisdom that the former fae had hidden from her. Sarah gasped, awaiting impact.

Before it registered, something big and bulky came up from behind Cara. Her eyes widened in surprise as her brain registered the sight of Earl - alive and conscious - wielding the same giant tree branch that had knocked him out, and brought the branch to Cara's head with more than enough impact to forcefully push the conscious out of the witch.

At the same time, Sarah's brain registered a crystal soar through the air and combine with the orb that Cara had dropped and meant to kill Sarah with - and the two magical spheres disappeared in a flash of light. She let out a relieved sigh, and gasped again as the witch's body dropped to the ground, half of it laying on Sarah's legs.

Earl stood behind his unconscious wife, tossed the branch to the ground and angrily said, "I want a divorce."

Sarah kicked the old woman's body off of her, noting that the witch was still breathing, and slid back a few feet to where Jareth was standing. They both studied Earl with suspicion. Jareth opened his mouth to give, no doubt, a punishing sentence to Earl, but the older man spoke before either of them could.

"I - I mean no harm," he raised his hands defensively, "I can't take back the stuff I did. I was weak and vulnerable, but it was no excuse." He continued when he still saw the hesitation in Sarah's eyes, "I knew my wife was an exiled fae - and I knew she wouldn't stop until she found her way back to the Underground. She was…" He sighed, "She was relentless, and took many lives-"

"I know who she was." Jareth interrupted, "A child murderer. A woman that had everything she had ever wanted yet was more selfish than any other."

"A w-what?" Sarah gasped.

"I should've known," Jareth's eyes softened as he gazed down at her. He offered a hand and helped her off the hard ground. "When she told you that little story, I knew instantly something was up, but I hadn't thought…" He shook his head.

Then it clicked. Sarah finally realised how fooled she had been from the beginning. The story Cara had told her of the Queen Viona and how each of the children had somehow -mysteriously- died soon after their birth. Cara had been telling Sarah her own story all along.

"But was she-"

"-A queen?" Jareth finished, "No, but she wanted to be. She was certainly high up in social status, though. Cara blamed the death of her children on my father's goblins, long before I ascended to the throne. I had nearly forgotten the stories…" He looked guilty and Sarah felt bad, she interlaced her fingers with his, decided to leave their last argument long behind them. His hand gave hers a reassuring squeeze. "It wasn't until a maid caught her - she blamed it on the goblins, but it was too late, she had been caught red-handed. The version she had told you was slightly altered, of course. She was exiled for her crimes, though many believed, my father included, that she deserved far worse."

Earl shuffled uncomfortably in place, embarrassed that he had married such an evil woman, though he hadn't known of her crimes when he had married her. "I will take care of this," Earl offered.

Jareth raised an eyebrow.

"She's responsible for many more deaths. These rituals she's done to get back to her mainland required her to take over many innocent girls before. None other survived. I would go to jail, too, if I turned her in, but I was so weak I deserved it." He shrugged, "It's time to pay the piper."

"Earl-" Sarah began, Jareth's hand tightened in warning, but he allowed her to say what she wanted to say. "Earl, you don-"

"-No, Sarah." Earl interrupted, "You're a good girl, put all this behind you. Live a good life." He gave her a reassuring smile. "Me - I'm going to serve my sentence and insure my dear wife gets what she had coming to her, too."

Well, at least I can say I tried, Sarah thought to herself, and then nodded at Earl.

He gave her a slight smile before his face turned serious again. Earl turned towards his wife's unconscious body and picked it up, he wasn't so old that he couldn't do that, after all, and began to walk back to the trail in the forest.

"And Earl," Jareth began, Earl paused and turned to the Goblin King.

"If I ever catch you disobeying your word, I will be forced to punish you personally,"

Earl gulped.

"Do I make myself clear?" The Goblin King raised an eyebrow, impatiently waiting for a response.

The old man nodded.

"Good. Move along." Jareth smirked.

When they were alone Sarah turned to Jareth, unable to resist she enveloped him in a tight hug. Just now realizing how nice it was to actually touch him so closely. He seemed to feel the same. His arms wrapped around her tightly and crushed her to his chest. She breathed in his scent and felt calmed as he brought his fingers through her hair, soothing her. They had not been able to have much close contact these last few weeks, separated by the invisible boundary line of the fairy ring, and they seemed to want to make up for it.

"I want to bring you to a healer," Jareth said.

"I'm fine," Sarah protested.

"Just to make sure there are no more magical influences that witch has on you. Though, I am sure you're fine," he added when he noticed her concerning look. "What, with your theatrical 'no power over me' spout, you clever thing." He smirked.

She gave him a sly smile, "How many times do I have to repeat it until people believe me?"

He chuckled.

"I promise no tricks, Sarah. I will bring you back whenever you want. I just want to ensure your safety." He said, suddenly serious again.

Sarah nodded, relenting easily. She wanted to trust him, after all. So far he was doing a good job redeeming himself. Not to mention she has been standing in this fairy ring for a very long time, and he had asked her to come with him. He gave her an option that entailed freewill.

She looked in his eyes and nodded again. "Okay, I trust you."

His eyes seemed to gleam at her words. "Hold tight, precious." He said, his scent filling her senses. Jareth seemed to wrap his body around hers protectively, and they felt the world tilt as he transported them across realms.

* * *

 _ **Phew**_ **, so that's done and out of the way. How's that for a plot climax? This chapter required several cups of coffee, writing breaks so I can re-watch Friends episodes and many, many hours to complete. Also, it required me to really try and focus my somewhat ADD mind, because my brain seemed to want to do everything but write today. Thank all of you for reading and reviewing my story - much appreciating, such joy.**

 **Once again,**

 _ **I do not own the labyrinth.**_

 _ **I do not own it in a house.**_

 _ **I do not own it with a mouse.**_

 _ **I do not own it here or there.**_

 _ **I do not own it anywhere.**_

 **Reviews:**

 **starrmommy41 - Yeah, I think Earl has a hard time feeling sorry for Earl. And yay, _creepy Cara clobbered_! And eyyyy, alliteration. Sorry for the late update. No reason for it, just the person I am. :-/**

 **lisabit - Yup, yup. I didn't want to go right out and clearly reveal her being in the fairy ring. I wanted a few seconds of reader pondering, lol. But now you know, so iz all gud.**

 **kellyn1604 - Hahahha, very true. Very true. But then, it wouldn't have made for a very good story, would it? And if she had given in to him in the movie I know there might be less fanfiction ideas. Or maybe people would still find a way to write about it. Who knows? Probably. But I'm all for the dark Jareth ones - the redeemable versions of course - y'know all the kidnappy ones and stuff? And I don't think there would be many of those if she had just given in when they had their first confrontation. _I_ might have given in. I don't know, I try to pretend that I wouldn't, lol. Although, I'd probably be too naive to realize he was being seductive. _sigh_. Totally don't get that flirting thing.**

 **find your North Star - Totally not silly. Yay, fairy ring! Yay, Jareth. Yay, kissing... Oh wait, I didn't do that this chapter... :/ Maybe next time. Thanks for reviewing. ;)**

 **ariella21 - She definitely does, but the hard way is always the most interesting way, isn't it? Thanks for reviewing!**

 **Alice - :) Awe, so sweet. I know, I've been bad. I made you guys wait two months this time. What do I have to say for myself? Idk. I have no excuse. Thannks for reviewing! Oh, lookie at that, your 'thanks' gets 2 n's. So special. :)**

 **Sazzle76 - hah! I laughed at this review. 'Hope the next chapter is hot on the heels of this one' Lol, it was so _not_. This update was so late, and I made you wait in suspense for two months. Maybe I did that on purpose... maybe I didn't... Thanks for reviewing! :)**

 **Enchanted Peach Dreams - Oh, Sarah. Whatever shall we do with you... I guess just stick you in a magical realm with a hot king to protect you. Yeah, that's it.**

 **sammij1821 - I hope I didn't make you cry... :( Pls no. Here, take this update! Feel better.**

 **Lyn79 - Thanks for your review. Now you find out. All suspense answered!**

 **jenaleec - yes.**

 **jenaleec - Lol, glad you're enjoying it! Thank you for reviewing!**

 **LovelyAmberlight - Uh oh. Yup, trouble, big trouble. I think they will be okay. Well, I _know_ Sarah will be okay.**

 **CrazyFemaleDragon - Lol, love the name. And thank you so much! I can't believe _I_ gave _you_ goosebumps. Das crazy.**

 **Guest#1 - Haha, thank you! :))**

 **Jetredgirl - *plays mission impossible music***

 **FelineNinjaGrace - Lol, oops. Well, I didn't wait a whole month to update this time, I waited _two_ months. Thanks for your review!**

 **kittyspike08536 - I can tell you're excited about this.**

 **Amelia - Awe, thank you very much! That's totally sweet. Made my day. :) I never feel like my chapters are good enough, but I just keep sending them out there for you guys. Thanks for your review.**

 **saxophoboe - Wait no longer, my friend!**

 **mikkianne - Oh, awesome. Lol. Glad you're enjoying it! Thanks for reviewing! :)**

 **Ebony-Dove - Awe, it's okay. I'm in denial too. When I write that last chapter I'll probably just sit there for awhile and wonder what to do with my life next. Thanks for reviewing!**

 **Kieira - Awe, that's so cool. Thank you so much for that. :) #writingselfdoubts #awesomereviewer**

 **friendrat- You right. You right.**

 **Mistress DragonFlame - Thank you! Hopefully this chapter will help clear everything up.**


	16. Chapter 16

"We missed you, Sarah." Karen's sweet voice rang out.

Sarah gave a sheepish smile. "I'm glad to be back," she said, and she was telling the truth. She couldn't help but smile as she gazed around the room and reveled in the familiarity and the warmth. Her nose was cold, but her body was comfortably covered in autumn colored layers. Sarah basked in the smell of Karen's thanksgiving pie.

Her mouth watered. Even as a rebellious teenager Sarah had appreciated Karen's cooking. When complimented, Karen would shrug it off and say it was all thanks to having deep roots in the South.

"I've missed your cooking," Sarah commented.

Karen paused, her hand still holding a whisk up to a plastic bowl. "Well, this was how my grandmother made it." She said, facing away from Sarah, and returned to mixing the ingredients. Sarah gave a knowing smile. Her step-mother was never one to beg for compliments.

However, unbeknownst to Sarah, Karen's mouth was upturned in a genuine smile. When she had first married her second husband she had never expected the sassy and outspoken teenager to be keeping her company at the dining room table as she cooked her traditional thanksgiving meal. In fact, Sarah had refused to acknowledge her for the first few weeks after Karen's honeymoon, but here they were now. Sarah's cheeks were red from frostbite, Toby was in the other room playing video games -despite his complaints on coming back inside- and they had all enjoyed travelling to the park earlier as a family. Karen's life, as of now, felt complete.

The sound of keys unlocking the front door broke the comfortable silence the family had fallen into.

"Dad's back from the airport," chirped Toby in the other room.

Sarah leaned forward in the wooden dining chair in anticipation, but did not get up. She was enjoying Karen's company. The door opened in the other room and they could hear friendly chatter. Sarah could make out her father greeting Toby and a few other people, as well.

"Aunt Shelley and Uncle Bernie are here, guys," Toby announced.

"Sarah?" They called.

"Coming," she said and gave Karen a quick parting smile. As she walked out of the kitchen and into the living room Karen shook her head and gave a small chuckle. Life was great, Sarah accepted her, Toby was the happiest kid on the block, but nothing could change the awkward family dinners with Aunt Shelley and Uncle Bernie. This should be an interesting evening.

And interesting it was.

Two hours later the family was all seated. A few extra guests had arrived and the old dining room table was filled to the brim with people and many different selections of thanksgiving food. Karen passed around the stuffing as the family made small talk. When the stuffing finally was passed to Sarah at the end of the table she happily applied a healthy serving to her plate. Just as she lifted her fork and was about to tuck in to her food, Aunt Shelley interrupted the small-talk and directed the conversation towards her, effectively yanking Sarah from her food-devouring thoughts.

"So, Sarah," Aunt Shelley leaned over her plate and spoke over the other guests. Her hair falling into the mashed potatoes on her plate. "I heard you just got back from Ireland," She fluttered her eyelashes. Aunt Shelley had always been described as a woman who's makeup and clothes were as eccentric as a Las Vegas show girl, but the only problem was that Aunt Shelley wasn't actually _good_ at pulling it off.

"Yeah," Sarah nodded, setting her fork down with the stuffing still on it. "Yeah, I did."

"Why don't you tell us about your trip?" Shelley said. Sarah looked down at her fork longingly, then back up to the middle aged woman.

"Well, it was nice." Sarah said, realizing that she couldn't actually say anything that they _would_ believe about her trip. Especially the fact that she had spent much of it hanging out by a fairy ring... and then the rest of her stay in a completely different world altogether...

* * *

They shimmered back into existence on the other side of the fairy ring, a clearing much like the one they had just left. Sarah opened her mouth in question but the words on her tongue were immediately silenced.

The grass around them lit up with gleaming color, as did the surrounding forest and sky.. The trees came to life. The branches swung with movement as creatures chirped exclamations and scurried forward in curiosity. Sarah could see glowing eyes shining through the dark leaves and tensed in wonder and fear.

"They will not harm you," Jareth's warm voice said from behind her. He cast a terrifying glare into the forest and the creatures shrank back. Their calls became quieter but did not cease.

Sarah wondered who she was dealing with, once again, that he could command the forest without a sound.

Her eyes traced the colors that filled the world around her. Everything was exactly as it was on the _other_ side… and completely different. The colors were more sharp, more real here. It was as if she had been watching life through a blurry lens until now.

She gasped as creatures raised out of the tall blades of grass. Fairies, much like the one that had bit her finger on her first visit, floated above the ground and inspected the newly arrived strangers. When they saw it was the Goblin King their eyes widened in recognition and they hastily withdrew a safe distance.

Sarah looked back at the man behind her. He, too, seemed more colorful. His features had sharpened and his eyes burned with a dangerous glint. This was the Jareth she remembered, the same one that had teased and mocked her throughout her journey, the same one that had paced outside the fairy ring because he had no power over her. She felt like backing away just as the creatures had, but set her jaw instead.

"You promised this wasn't a trick," Sarah reminded him.

"I did." Jareth studied her face. Her eyes were always burning with determination and curiosity.

She nodded her head. "Than-" Sarah cleared her throat. Uttering those words would surely not end well. They were empty and meaningless to the faeries. A simple 'thank you' deemed every act of service as practically worthless. It was like receiving only a nod in acknowledgement after saving someone's life. She paused and thought about what she _could_ say.

One of his brows rose either in question or amusement. She'd have to break through that cold exterior and show her thankfulness some other way… _Actions speak louder than words_ , her brain recited.

So she kissed him. Her hands reached up and pulled his head down and roughly planted one on him. The kiss itself was long and passionate and expressed her gratefulness for him coming back despite another rejection. She filled it with every thought she'd ever had in his direction that hadn't been strictly platonic.

His hands grabbed her and roughly pulled her against his body. Their fingers were both excited and eager to finally explore each other in a moment of passion. As they pulled away Sarah felt breathless.

Silly her for thinking it was just from the kiss.

Her vision blurred and her hands weakly reached out to grasp Jareth to keep from tumbling over. A ringing noise filled her senses as her hearing dulled. He caught her just as her knees gave out. Sarah glimpsed his furrowed brows before her world turned black.

"... Sarah?" His eyes traced her still form. She was unconscious. He cursed and tugged off a glove with his teeth. Tossing it on the ground beside him he checked her pulse and her breathing. It was fine for now. Probably related to the overwhelming stress on her body, not just from being previously poisoned but transporting across realms. He was thankful he had convinced her to return with him.

Jareth stilled as he felt someone in the mortal realm break their promise. His head snapped up and his teeth exposed with a snarl. With hands clenched he transported Sarah to the healer, depositing her with clear instructions before he disappeared from sight to deal with a certain cowardly mortal that was trying to evade him.

Sarah was left safely in the arms of some of the most experienced healers in the Underground.

* * *

"Yes... and?" Shelley piqued, "What'd you do?" Shelley's words pulled Sarah back into the present.

"Well, it was nice seeing the culture..." Sarah offered. It wasn't as if she was going to tell her Aunt or the rest of her family that she had battled a witch that had certainly _not_ been human.

"Ey, I heard you met a nice boy over there," Uncle Bernie chimed in.

Sarah froze.

Sarah's dad swung his head in their direction she could have sworn she heard his neck pop. His nostrils flared and he got a protective glint in his eyes, but he refrained from commenting.

"Well..." Sarah shrunk back.

"Yes, I remember you saying something like that," Karen agreed. Her step-mother may not accept many compliments, but she was one for gossip. It was at this moment Sarah knew she would receive no mercy on this subject. Of course Karen told them about Jareth. Why did she think she could rely on her not to?

"Oooh, is he Irish?" Shelley gushed.

"No..." Sarah frowned, "He's - uh - _English_." It was odd describing Jareth as anything other than otherworldly or ethereal. She supposed she's have to keep that part to herself.

"... Sooo, he has an accent?" her Aunt tried to get her to elaborate.

Sarah shrugged and nodded. "Yup."

"Well," Sarah's father leaned back, suddenly ignoring his food, "He'd better treat you right."

Shelley's eyes popped open. "Oh, yes! Does he treat you right?" She asked excitedly. No doubt she was looking for some romantic gestures that she could vicariously swoon over.

Sarah blinked. "Ummm..." Her voice faded out as she retraced her memories.

* * *

Sarah opened her eyes to a dimly lit stone room. Gazing around she discovered she was in a burgundy silk covered bed. She snorted at the cliche, this _must_ be Jareth's room. Inspecting the surroundings, her thoughts were confirmed when her eyes were drawn to the front of the room where Jareth sat in a chair before a fireplace. He had his head back and seemed to be trying to relax, though his posture was tense.

"Have I been out long?" Sarah asked, pulling herself out of the bed. She was still wearing the white dress Cara had kidnapped her in. Goosebumps raised across her skin as her body left the warmth of the bed. She found herself drawn to the fireplace for more reasons than just Jareth.

As she neared him, she saw that he had dressed down in only a flowing black shirt and tights. She felt something in her stir at seeing him like this. Sarah tried to distract her brain.

"Only a few hours," Jareth said, his eyes were focused intently on the flames before him.

"You look exhausted, have you slept?"

"No," Jareth said with a proud smirk.

Her stomach flipped for _other_ reasons than before. "Why not…?" She sat in a plush red chair next to him, admiring the details carved into the wood of the seat.

"The healer said that you are fine." Jareth said no more than that.

She _knew_ she was fine, but that was not what she had asked. "Are you in a bad mood?" Sarah inquired.

"Why?"

"Because you seem distant."

He shot her an aloof smile. "Don't I always?"

Sarah cocked her head and raised an eyebrow. "Tell me what's on your mind." She said.

"Hmm," Jareth turned towards her and crossed his arms. He debated it for a minute. His foot tapped a rhythm on the rug beneath them.

"... Now that I have you, I'm not entirely sure I want to give you back." He finally said.

"You're joking," Sarah said out of reflex.

"I'm not 'joking'." He casually draped a leg over the side of the chair. "Now that you're here... I finally have power over you… wouldn't I be absolutely stupid to relinquish that?"

Sarah scowled and her heart sped up. "I don't think I have to tell you that being power hungry is never good."

"No, precious. It's never good for all the _other_ people." He gave her a mischievous smirk.

Her heart dropped, but something in her told her to stay calm. "You can't keep me here, Jareth." Her fingers gripped the sides of the chair like a life saver.

Jareth sighed, "I know."

"How am I supposed to trust you if you keep saying things like that?" Sarah threw her hands up. "I _really_ want to, but how?" Sarah asked.

"You can find solace in the fact that I could never fully control you. Your decisions are your own, Sarah. I can't even keep you from your world. Though I'd rather you not return to the mortal realm of yours after seeing such violence and evil there." He gave her a sidelong glance after a moment of silence. His face softened and his voice was gentle as he added, "I _want_ your trust."

"Well," She paused, "you have it…"

"Not quite yet." He said, "But soon."

Sarah nodded.

Jareth was right. She did not entirely trust him as of yet, but they had only known each other for a short while. The chemistry and history was strong, and she knew there was definitely feelings flying around between them. After all he had done for he she felt he deserved her trust. But he always said or did something that made her think twice. She had to remember that he _was_ fae and she couldn't hold him up to the same standard. She had to acknowledge that he was trying. Sarah didn't want to get hurt, but she _did_ want to pursue this. She wanted this more than anything and she knew she would just have to tread carefully.

They both turned back to watching the fire after a silent moment of thought.

* * *

"...Yes," She finally said.

Her father studied her. He had noticed her hesitation. How else would he have gotten as far in his career as a lawyer without an observant eye? Sarah scratched her head and ignored his scrutiny. could feel his eyes boring into her. She decided to tuck into her food and ignore the burning curiosity around her. Her cheeks flooded with color.

Shelley ignored this. "So, is he not coming tonight?" She asked.

"No," Sarah shook her head. "He's, uh, a bit busy. We talked so much while I was over there that he has to catch up on some of his work." She nodded, pleased with her excuse.

"Ah, I see. Playin' hard to get aren't you?" Bernie let out a boisterous laugh.

Sarah frowned. "No, I-"

"-That's okay. Shelley did the same thing to me! I proposed three times before she finally agreed." He make a snapping gesture with his hand, "And you shoulda seen how many times I had to ask her out for a first date _before_ that."

Aunt Shelley's cheeks turned red and she snapped her mouth closed.

Karen gave a pleased smile. A happy glint in her eyes. She had been sitting calmly this entire time enjoying more information on Sarah's sudden and mysterious love life.

"Sarah," Karen said, deciding to have pity on the girl, "Do you think we should start serving desert?"

Sarah looked down at her hardly eaten plate. "Eh," she shrugged, "Why not?"

... A few hours later the Turkey had successfully managed to cause the family to crawl in their beds with sluggish movements and full stomachs. Sarah's parents were sound asleep, door closed and light turned off behind it; her uncle Bernie lay on his back snoring on the couch; Aunt Shelley had taken Sarah's old bed and Toby was out cold in his room with the door slightly ajar. On the floor in his room was an abandoned sleeping bag, which was where Sarah was supposed to sleep, but found the floor far too uncomfortable. Besides, she had other plans.

Sarah crept down the stairs, expertly avoiding the step the emitted a loud squeak, and pulled on her sneakers by the front door. She was extra cautious as she passed her uncle Bernie, her feet tiptoeing across the hard floor. A childish smile crept on her face at the thought. She felt like a teenager sneaking out.

However, she did not bother to open the front door. That would cause too much extra noise. Besides, she had something most teenagers didn't have. Magic.

She closed her eyes and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Focusing intently, she felt the room around her change. It was cold. The room around her felt more open. She slowly opened her eyelids.

Jareth wasn't here yet. The chair next to the fireplace was abandoned and the fire was absent. Sarah pulled the cardigan tighter around her. Goosebumps rose on her skin and she ignored the impulse to shiver. Sarah felt, rather than saw, a presence behind her.

"You're later than you said you'd come," his voice came from behind her. She felt him wrap his arms around her.

"Yeah, sorry. Aunt Shelley decided to get drunk and it was a pain getting Toby in bed." Sarah said and turned to face him.

"You must be tired," he said with a smirk. His sharp cheekbones were illuminated from the moonlight that pierced through one of the many windows in his chambers.

"I am," she said and gave him her best impersonation of his cocky smirk.

"Imitation is the best form of flattery," he said in a sing-song voice and led her to his king-sized bed.

"No funny business," Sarah said as the light in the room faded.

* * *

 _A week before..._

He arrived in the room the cowardly mortal was. He could sense the broken promise from his own world, though the words promise had never been said, it had been a deal all in its own. The mortal had backed out and now he had to pay the price.

"You failed to keep your promise," a cold, calculating voice said.

"You don't expect me to really go to them, do you?" Earl cried.

"I don't really care _what_ you do, as long as you have 'paid the piper' as you so put it." Jareth said with a sneer. The creature before him was pathetic, hiding out in a cheap motel far away from the crimes they had committed and sobbing that it 'wasn't fair'.

"I can't," he sobbed, "It's not as if I did any of it," The old man tried to reason.

"Really?" Jareth's eyebrows raised in mock-surprise. "And you are not responsible for the poor state dear Sarah is in?"

"I didn't _want_ to poison her."

"Hmmm, and I suppose you didn't _want_ to ruthlessly kill the other girls too? You know, the ones that tried to run and expose you and your wife."

Earl froze, "H- h- how did you know that?" He stuttered.

Jareth let out a blood chilling chuckle. "I have seen that your wife has received the punishment she deserved, but you failed to uphold the rest of the deal." The room temperature became frigid. Earl began to see his breathe before him.

The Goblin King continued, "Since the idea of imprisonment in your realm terrifies you so, I have decided to be _generous_ …" The light dimmed until Earl couldn't even see his breath inches before him. "... _This_ is an oubliette, and it is what imprisonment looks like in _my_ realm." Jareth said, his voice haughtily announced.

Earl practically soiled himself.

* * *

 **Author's note: Breaking Benjamin is extraordinary on acoustic. Just thought I'd say that. It's been a recent writing jam for me. Also, people who listen to David Bowie are said to score an average of 1142 on the SATs. Bob Dylan is at 1197 and Beethoven is 1371. Who knew? Just something interesting I thought I'd share. Also, happy early Thanksgiving. I was going to write a few oneshots for Halloween but was too nervous to post them. By the time I worked up the nerve it had already passed. So, I decided I'd throw in Thanksgiving in this chapter for all of you. :) Thanks for reading, favoriting and following. You guys keep me going. :D Next chapter will probably be an epilogue.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Jetredgirl - Hahah, you're psychic! He's my favorite antihero, too! Glad you enjoyed the last chapter. :) Thanks for reviewing.**

 **DarkEnigma322 - Wow, thanks! I was sooo nervous for the last chapter. Glad to see that other people liked it. Threw in some J/S this chapter for all of you guys. There will be an epilogue after this one, I think. Lol. Thank you.**

 **LovelyAmberLight - Thank you! I try my best with their personalities. I don't like bad guys that are bad with no reason. The only one that can pull that off is the Joker. I try to throw in a few good reasons along with personality flaws that help them become the person they are. And you may be right about Jareth... ;) Thank you for your review!**

 **Mistress DragonFlame - Thank you for your review! I tried to tie up as my loose ends as I could last chapter. I hope you enjoy this one, as well! :)**

 **Alice - Hahaha. That's a great review. Love the enthusiasm! Worked on this chapter all weekend and _still_ couldn't get it how I wanted it, so I just posted it. Meh. But I made sure to throw in a kiss n' stuff.**

 **\- Wow, your compliment blew me out of the water. I don't even know what to say. I really don't. Despite me being introverted, I usually can think of something, lol. Thank you so much. :)I'm always worried about how my characters will come across. I try to make each of them as true to themselves as possible, but sometimes it's hard when you've got ideas, haha. Thank you, again.**

 **3Silmarillion - Thanks so much! 'Top lists for favorites' No way! Hahah, thank you. :) Hope you enjoy this chapter, too.**

 **Kellyn1604 - Lol, it happens to the best of us. Jareth's a bit iffy on trust, but so are must fae. I had Sarah confront it in this chapter. I guess we'll see how well their blooming relationship will work out in the epilogue. Thank you for reviewing!**

 **E.L. Rowe - Awe, that's awesome. Happy belated birthday to your daughter! Plot twist new villian? 'friad not, my friend. Otherwise I'd have to write an even longer story. Oh! But don't worry, a few new stories should start appearing after I complete this one! Thanks for reviewing! :)**

 **bluebellwoods - Hahaha, that's funny. Thank you so much! Wow, in awe at my storytelling skills? So many compliments, haha. I was so worried I was making Sarah too much of a pushover. I didn't want that, so I try to make her stand up when she can cause that's how she really is. Thank you!**

 **kittyspike08536 - *hides* I promise it wasn't the Friends episode this time! I swear! All should be cleared up in this chapter. *Waves chapter before your face* All the answers... Muahaha. Thank you for your review! :D Hope you like this chapter!**

 **friendrat - They do make a good team, don't they? I should write a story where they solve crime and fight bad guys 'n stuff, eh? Probably not. Thank you for your review!**

 **saxophoboe - Hahaha, love seeing him be a boss, too. ;) It's sexy. Thank you!**

 **sammij1821 - Thanks! What a great compliment! I was trying to bring it, hahaha, but I never feel like my chapters are good enough when I post them. It happens, I guess. Thank you! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Hustlers - Thank you! Dunno if you're calling my Jareth soppy, but oh well. Thanks for the review, I hope you love this chapter, too!**

 **Kieira - Hahha, that's a pretty good line, innit? Yes, Jareth can finally touch Sarah. I'd take advantage of that if I were them... ;) Thanks for your review!**

 **His Majesty Jareth - Hahaha, I did take inspiration from that poem. Thank you so much for your reviews! And thank you for your PM. If it weren't for it I probably would've slacked off for a while... I hope you enjoy this chapter. Couldn't really think of how I wanted to do it and had to redo it twice. Still not perfect, but I had to update it for you guys. It's only fair. ;)**

 **Sorry for the long list of reviews~ Everyone have a great week and a great Thanksgiving!**


	17. Epilogue

The fresh wind blew around them. A strand of dark hair tickled her nose and she quickly swiped at it. Her posture remained graceful and even regal - which was something that had been learned overtime. She closed her eyes and fought a nostalgic grin, but eventually her lips cracked and revealed a row of pearly straight teeth. The smell of the earth and sweet blooming flowers invaded her nostrils and brought back images of a night many years before.

"This," an arm wrapped around her torso, a warm ungloved hand reached towards and grazed the skin of her neck. She felt herself completely _give_ to him. Her shoulders relaxed and she leaned into the warmth behind her.

"This," he said again, "is a sight that I have missed."

"What sight?" she murmured, still enjoying the feel and smell of the scenery around them.

"Your smile, precious."

She pulled away, her eyes opening, and the moment had lost its magic. "It's been a long few weeks." Her posture lost some of its grace. She became weary and limp for a brief second before recovering.

He was silent for a moment. She turned to study him and was hit with a wave of his spicy scent. It wasn't his _natural_ scent, of course, but rather oils and herbs that he used. Through the years she had come to recognize it as his own familiar unique smell. His handsome features were young, yet held sharp intelligence and wisdom that could only be acquired from centuries of knowledge. She had yet to catch up to him, but was slowly making her way there. Perhaps in another hundred years or so...

"It is always hard to say goodbye, Sarah."

"But it won't be forever."

"No, it won't." He affirmed.

"God, I just wish they would have come…" She scowled. "I - I should have tried harder to persuade them."

" _Sarah_ ," he warned, knowing the telltale signs of grief and guilt overcoming her features. "They made their choice. Do not feel guilty for living your own life." He swayed nearer to her, his sharp features coming alive in the light of the sunset. "They supported you and would encourage you to move on." Her green eyes traced the shadows along his face, his pale skin that glowed in the sunlight, the makeup that covered his eyelids, the pupil that was larger than the other and the dark leather that clothed him in an aura of mystery.

Sarah nodded, then paused and set her jaw. "You're absolutely right." She unconsciously ran a hand down the black silk that covered her body. He wore all black, as well, accompanying her on her culture's tradition of celebrating a person's life after they've passed into the afterlife.

It was the end to a great chapter in their lives. The boy that had brought them together had grown up, lived, and grown old. His death had marked the last of Sarah's immediate family. They had known that death was an option for them, something no other mortal was able to choose, but they had still chosen it with contentment for their lives and knowledge that death was not simply the end. Jareth had expressed admiration of their bravery and that they hadn't faltered, even when the youngest - Toby - had began to show wrinkles and Sarah hadn't aged a year past her late twenties. It was a trait that ran heavily through their family - determination.

Determination is what marked Sarah's face at this very moment. "It's odd that everything comes back to this spot, isn't it?" Sarah said after a silent few seconds. She motioned to the ring of mushrooms that surrounded them and marked the edges of the meadow, "It's almost like fate."

"It _is_ fate," he answered. An emotion passed over his face, Sarah caught a glimpse of insightful knowing in his eyes, knowledge that she had yet to learn. She felt more aware, in moments like these, of how naive she was when it came to the universe compared to him.

He blinked, and the odd expression passed. "Are you ready?" The king asked, extending a hand out towards her.

She took it, content with allowing him to transport them to the other realm this time. Sure, she could do with the practice, but Sarah felt that in this moment _he_ was the one that was supposed to take them to his world. It was the way it was supposed to be this time. It represented change. It was him carrying her into his world like a groom carried his bride after a wedding.

"I'm ready, Jareth," she said. "Take me home."

Her stomach flipped and her heart dropped. She hadn't been apart of the mortal world for over half a century - not truly - but her younger brother's passing consummated the end of her mortal life and the beginning of forever. Sarah had nothing to hold onto in this world anymore. Her time here was done, and though that thought brought great sorrow, the knowledge that she had so much _more_ waiting for her in the other world brought her elation.

She could finally cross the line - she could finally enter the fairy ring - and no longer be a girl caught between two worlds, but be a queen in the world that her heart had always longed for. They'd waited a long time to get here. And now she finally _belonged_ somewhere.

The world around them melted. The grass in the clearing stretched and morphed before her, solidifying into long shimmering strands of emerald green. Around them, the trees of the forest came to life with color and movement, creatures stirred and the wind changed direction. The earthy scent was stronger than it had been been in the mortal realm.

Sarah let go of his hand and stretched her gaze across the fairy ring. She could see dazzling lights - much like the ones she had thought she'd seen all those years ago in the hotel windows - zooming around the edges of the clearing. The lights floated atop the heads of the mushrooms, the flashes of color fluttering around each other. They seemed to be dancing.

Sarah smiled. This was home, the mortal realm had only held onto her through responsibility, but she belonged _here_ in the Underground. Here on the other side of the fairy ring. She no longer feared the unknown, she was the unknown. She was the Queen of the Unknown.

The End.

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 **Guys I did it. I finished it. Woot woot.**

 **Sorry I took so long getting this chapter out. I've had a frustrating past few month of battling against my own self with things. Thank you guys for waiting patiently! :)**

 **I will be going over the previous chapters and smoothing them out. When I started this story I wasn't the most perfect at writing - I still ain't - but I definitely believe this story has improved my writing skills much more. I'll probably be updating the chapters frequently throughout these next few months. I plan on posting this story to ArchiveofOurOwn as I go along and fix up each chapter.**

 **I sincerely want to thank you _all_ for your feedback and support with this story. Seriously, thank you guys. I love writing and your reviews have really guided me and inspired me as I wrote this story. Speaking of, as I update each chapter I may take down the Author's Notes at the end to just to smooth it out. I don't really think there's a point to keeping them. If you don't think I should, you should tell me, lol.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Guest #1: Hahaha, that's a great compliment. Glad I made your day better. _Thank YOU_ for leaving a review. :)**

 **bluebellwoods - Yay, everything's all good. Hopefully this epilogue manages to make your day again. ;) Thanks for reviewing.**

 **Mistress DragonFlame - Yes.**

 **Whack-The-Beetle - Thank you! That's such a great compliment! Irish Folklore tends to inspire many ideas for me. I hope you enjoy the epilogue! :)**

 **Sazzle76 - Your review made me laugh. A brilliant idea, really. Who knows, maybe the next thanksgiving she gave them passive aggressive responses? Thank you, dear. :)**

 **Ebony-Dove - Awe, thanks! I feel like I should be more sad about finally finishing this story, but I'm not. I'm more excited about finally moving onto other stories. I hope you like this epilogue! :)**

 **Friendrat - Actually, I just read a story a while back that was a crossover between sherlock holmes and Labyrinth by FarGreenCountrySwiftSunrise. They were pretty good stories, I thought. Don't know if I'll ever write anything like it, lol. Thanks for your review. I hope you like the epilogue! :D**

 **JetredGirl - My muse has been pretty bad lately, as well. How long did it take to write this epilogue again? *Checks watch* Wait, I probably shouldn't drag attention to that... Thanks for your review! Glad you enjoyed my Jareth, lol. I don't like to write _super_ dark Jareth's. It doesn't seem write to me. David Bowie described him as spoiled and a romantic. I try to match that. Hope you like the epilogue. :)**

 **LovelyAmberLight - Thank you, dear! I've been going through the old chapters and cringing at some of the mistakes I made. Trying to fix it up, but your review made me feel a little bit better about it. ;) I'm glad you liked the Thanksgiving scene - although I feel that it was a little out of place in this story TBH. I may edit it later (I'll decide when I get there), but I'm glad you liked it. And yeah, this is a T-rated story. I guess I could imply them sleeping together, but I know there's tons of fanfiction out there where their romance simply focuses on the lust they have for each other - wanted to kind of counter that a bit. I hope you liked the epilogue! :)**

 **annibale - Here, I added one last chapter, lol. I plan on smoothing things out with the story, which means I may add/take-out some things to hopefully make the story seem more fleshed out. Thanks for reviewing! :)**

 **lisabit - I am so glad that it played in your head like a movie! That's a great compliment towards my writing! Thank you. Hope you enjoy the epilogue!**

 **dannisez - And now there is more! Hope you like the epilogue. Thanks for your review!**

 **Talia-Naeva - Yes!**

 **Akatsuki Demon Kiera666 - Thanks for your review! Very sweet and yup, I hope you like the epilogue! :)**


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